There For You
by citygirl95
Summary: Naruto is a new student at Konoha High. On his first day, he befriends a girl named Sakura, who asks him to help her win the heart of Mr.Popular, a.k.a. Sasuke. Naruto foolishly accepts, but soon realizes that he wants Sakura all for himself. Naru/Saku AU
1. Meeting

1. Meeting

A young blond boy stared up at the red-brick building towering before him, a big frown forming on his lips.

So… this was where he was to spend a good chunk of his day for the next three years of his life?

Around him, groups of excited teenagers chatted energetically to their pals, catching up on an entire summer's worth of gossip.

"You won't believe what I just heard!"

"What? Tell now!"

"Lena got dumped by her boyfriend over the summer!"

"Ohmigosh! By her boyfriend, that popular guy?"

Naruto closed his eyes and tried to block out the voices. A chilly September wind blew past his exposed arms, sending shivers down his spine. He wished he had put on something warmer this morning, something with sleeves. For a fleeting moment, he wished he had his mother there to scold him to grab a jacket when he left the house this morning. But as soon as the feeling came, it left him. He didn't want to think about her now; it would only make him feel sad.

As he walked up to the building, he wondered about the kids at this school. Were they any different from the ones back in his old school? Perhaps they would be better behaved and more accepting to new kids.

To his disappointment, as soon as he approached the foyer he could feel a hundred scornful eyes following him up the steps. Fingers were pointing at him.

He should have known better than to hope for impossible things. In such a close-knit community, new faces tended to attract unwanted attention. As for his reputation, it looks like no matter where he went it would always follow him like a shadow, as long as everyone was socially connected.

"Hey look, that must be the new kid, the delinquent."

"I heard he once beat up a gang of five thugs and robbed an elderly couple."

"Wow… he's so violent!"

Naruto cringed.

"Apparently, he finally stepped out of line last year and got expelled. That's why he had to transfer here."

"And our principal actually accepted this nutcase?"

He felt his temper rise.

How disgusting. Rumours would always be distorted, but he couldn't understand how people were gullible enough to believe everything they heard. He might have been involved in a few fights before, but he still had his dignity. He had never robbed an old couple; he would never go that low.

Taking a deep breath, Naruto continued on towards the locker hallway. He couldn't lose control now, not over these petty people.

To his annoyance, the hallway was even more congested than the foyer, with twice the amount of students bustling about their lockers and chatting with their friends. Normally, Naruto would have basked in this energetic atmosphere, but becoming the 'new kid' meant receiving another crushing wave of stares and whispers.

Naruto couldn't stand it anymore, he had to say something. "Admit it people!" he yelled to nobody in particular while pushing his way through. "My face looks better than yours, so you can stare all ya want!"

When he finally found his locker, he quickly shoved his new books inside and studied his class schedule.

_First block: Chemistry._

Suppressing a groan, Naruto slowly made his way to his first class. School had always been a nuisance to him, especially the learning part. He had never understood what the teachers were talking about half the time. Everything just sounded like gibberish to him.

But maybe, he thought to himself, if I try really hard this year I'll actually pass my courses. After all, he had promised his guardian, Jiraiya, that he would change himself for the better. He didn't want to disappoint the man any more than he already had.

He stepped into the classroom just as the bell rang. His chemistry teacher was a man sporting a mess of silver hair and a face mask concealing both his nose and mouth. Without looking at the students filing in, he introduced himself: "You may call me Kakashi."

Naruto saw that Kakashi's eyes were glued to a novel which he held open in front of him. He could recognize the distinct orange cover anywhere. It was unbelievable how great the demand was for terrible books, books like the ones Jiraiya had written. It was even more unbelievable how his teacher was openly reading smut in a classroom. No one seemed to care, though, just like how no one questioned why Kakashi was hiding a good half of his face under that mask.

"We will start with some rules before we begin." Kakashi continued, now snapping his book shut. "As you all know, the chemistry lab is a dangerous place full of toxic chemicals. One misstep could land you in a hospital for weeks, or worse. I will be going over the rules in a moment, and I expect you to listen and pay attention. I will quiz you about them at the end."

Naruto yawned. How dull could first block get? He looked around at his new classmates, some of whom stared blankly ahead, clearly as uninterested as he was. But the full front-row of students, no doubt the keeners, were listening attentively in an attempt to make a good first impression with their teacher.

No one seemed to be paying any attention to Naruto, but he didn't mind. It was good. He preferred being ignored over being gossiped about. In the past, provocation had often ended in violence on his part, but he was determined to erase that old habit by restraining himself from jumping the next person who sniggered at him. He was going to change- he would see to it. And so far, most of his classmates seemed docile enough. As long as they didn't bother him, he wouldn't bother them.

Naruto stifled another yawn and began mindlessly doodling on the cover of his notebook. Beside him, from the corner of his eyes, he could see a pink-haired girl carrying a conversation with a blond girl in whispers.

"…and lastly, to remain calm in case of a fire," Kakashi finished, looking up at his class for the first time that morning. "As for that quiz now..." He scanned through his class list for a name to pick on. "Sakura Haruno."

Silence.

Naruto noticed that the girl next to him was still whispering to her friend, both were completely oblivious to the situation.

"Sakura… Sakura Haruno! Are you there?" Kakashi's voice seemed to echo in the silent classroom.

Naruto's neighbour sat up with a jolt. "Oh, that's me!"

"Forgot to answer to your own name, heh? How odd… unless you're really not Miss Haruno." Kakashi's eyes narrowed to scrutinize the girl. "I swear you brats are getting craftier each year, impersonating each other, not coming to class…"

"No, I really am Sakura Haruno!" the girl retorted. "I'll show you my ID."

Kakashi held up a hand to stop her. "No need. I see you haven't been paying attention in my class. Detention after school if you cannot tell me what I was lecturing about."

"I did listen. You were just talking about… um…"

"Lab safety rules," Naruto whispered before he could stop himself.

"Lab safety rules!" Sakura Haruno finished.

"Correct," Kakashi said. "Well, looks like you're off the hook this time, Miss Haruno. Don't let this happen again."

"I won't, sir," Sakura replied before giving Naruto a grateful smile. Naruto noticed that she had very pretty eyes the colour of jade. He stuck out his tongue at her in acknowledgement.

When class was over, Sakura hastily left the classroom with her friend. Naruto, who was slow to pack up his stuff, saw a pink notebook lying on the desk where Sakura had been sitting. Deciding to give it back to her, Naruto quickly snatched the notebook and ran into the hallway.

He immediately caught sight of the girl in the hallway, her unusual for pink hair made her easy to spot among the crowd.

"Hey, wait!" Naruto tapped her shoulder.

Sakura turned. "Oh, it's you! Thanks for helping me out earlier. You saved me from detention with that dreadful Kakashi."

Naruto shrugged. "It's nothing. And you left this behind." He handed her the pink notebook.

"Right! Thank you so much! You're such a lifesaver today! What's your name by the way?"

"Naruto Uzumaki. N-A-R-U-T-O U-Z-U-"

She laughed. "I can figure out the spelling part myself. And my name is – "

"Sakura Haruno. I already know from class."

"Oh right," Sakura replied, looking a little embarrassed. "Well, I guess I'd better get to my next class. It was nice meeting you, Naruto!"

Naruto bid her goodbye and headed for his next class. Whether Sakura hadn't heard the rumours yet, or she was too polite to be rude to the person who had 'saved' her, Naruto wasn't sure. But either way, his meeting with Sakura had lifted his spirits dramatically. The girl was the first person here nice enough to have a normal conversation with him. And this was more than enough for him on his first day.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o 0o0o0o0

Over the next few weeks, Naruto gradually became accustomed to his new school. He learned to turn a deaf ear to the rumours and to suppress his urge to beat up the annoying kids who taunted him about his past as a delinquent. To his relief, most of the people at school, like Sakura, were alright, nice even.

It wasn't long before Naruto joined a suitable group of friends where he felt he belonged. Sure, they were all a little weird, and the general school population treated them like outcasts, but status and popularity were the least of their concerns. There was Shikamaru, the lazy boy who watched clouds all day. Kiba was the dog lover with a loud voice. Chouji had the body of a professional Sumo wrestler (and the appetite of one, too). And Sai, the pale, snarky artist who possessed little control over his mouth and seemed completely oblivious to the sharp glares thrown his way.

As for Sakura, Naruto's first friend, she seemed to be showing up everywhere in his world. He would spot her right away in a packed cafeteria, dressed in a simple green cotton dress, and always in conversation with her blond friend. She sat right in front of him in biology class, one of the two classes they shared together. Sometimes she would playfully drop her pencil (which would roll towards his feet) and yell out in a bossy voice, "Naruto, get my pencil for me will you?" When they met in the hallways, she would wave and call out, "Nice to see you again Naruto!"

One day when they were stuck in biology class, listening to a boring lecture on the transport system of plants, Sakura snuck a note to Naruto when the teacher wasn't looking. He opened up the note and read:

_Hey Naruto, what is the one thing you must do in high school?_

Curious, the boy scribbled an answer back.

_Smoke a cigarette? Go to a party? Get into a fight? _he randomly guessed.

Naruto stared at the back of Sakura's head as she bent down to scribble her response. However, when she saw their teacher walk by with a suspicious look, she pushed the slip of paper beneath a textbook in one smooth movement before looking up attentively like a good student. Behind her, Naruto waited patiently for the finished note – which never came.

When the end-of-class bell rang, Sakura immediately turned around and slapped a hand across Naruto's back. "It's skip class, you idiot! I have P.E. next and I'm not in the mood to get sweaty. Skip with me!"

Though at first hesitant to break a school rule, Naruto decided that there was no harm in missing just one class. It wasn't like he'll get expelled for it. And more importantly, _he was skipping with Sakura_…

Sakura dragged him into a little ice cream shop across the street from school. Five minutes later, they slowly made their way out of the shop, both with ice cream cones in hand.

It was a clear, bright September day. A warm breeze grazed their faces as they made their way down the street and into a sunlit park, where they finally settled down on a bench.

"So? What's up?" Naruto asked after a brief moment of silence.

"Well, nothing really." Sakura shrugged, "Just bored."

"Bored?"

Sakura stayed quiet. For a while there was nothing but the sound of their teeth crunching on the crispy cones. In the distance, Naruto could see a few toddlers running around the playground, their delighted shrieks piercing through the peaceful silence. He snuck a glance at Sakura, who was staring straight ahead. Following her gaze, he noticed a couple walking across the otherwise deserted park, hand in hand.

"Our school is so lousy," Sakura stated suddenly. "Full of ugly boys. And even the few handsome ones are either taken or are complete jerks."

"Well, the one next to you isn't so bad," Naruto joked before sliding a little closer to Sakura and grinning at her face as if attempting to get her to notice him.

"You?" Sakura scoffed and pushed him back a little, "with your ugly mustard hair, retarded whiskers tattoo, short and stumpy limbs?" She rolled her eyes and continued in a fake girly voice, "like, totally not my type."

Naruto knew she was joking, but couldn't help feel a little disappointed. "Haha, what a tragic ogre I am."

Sakura seemed to have sensed something. "Hey, I was just kidding you know!" She hit him on his back again, noticeably gentler this time. "Come on, I'll show you the real reason why I dragged you out of class today."

Tossing away the last bit of ice cream, Sakura rose and started heading towards school. Naruto, who trailed closely behind her, grew more and more puzzled with each step. When they neared a window, Sakura came to an abrupt halt and crouched below it, her eyes levelling slightly above the windowpane so that barely the top of her head was visible if anyone inside happened to look out.

Naruto followed suit. On the other side of the window, he could make out a class of students sitting in their seats while a teacher wrote a series of long formulas on the whiteboard.

He smirked. "You're such a nerd, Sakura. I mean, skipping P.E. for a math lecture?"

Sakura shushed him and pointed a finger towards something, or rather someone, in the classroom.

"He's the reason why, Naruto."

At the back row sat a boy with dark hair and chiseled features lounging comfortably in his seat. His mouth was twisted into a small smirk.

"That guy? What's so special about him?"

"Sasuke Uchiha," Sakura said quietly, "captain of the soccer team, and the most popular guy in school."

"Don't tell me you're obsessed with him too."

"Oh, how can I not be? He's so handsome and dreamy. And rumour has it; he just broke up with his girlfriend over summer break!"

Naruto was starting to get annoyed. "You took me here… to gawk at a boy. Sakura, I'm not gay you know!"

"I know." Sakura said calmly, "You see, my friend Ino and I recently had a fight over Sasuke. Both of us wanted to go after him now that he's single again, so the two of us parted our ways to become rivals."

Naruto nodded. He still did not understand why Sakura was telling him about her girl problems.

"And this is where you come in, Naruto. You're going to help me win Sasuke's heart."

"M-m-me?" Naruto's eyes grew wide in surprise. "Help you get… him?"

Sakura nodded, a grin slowly spreading across her face.

"Sasuke gets asked out at least three times a week. But so far, he has rejected all of his admirers because they're all strangers to him so he sees them as a nuisance. But Naruto, you're a guy. If you can somehow befriend Sasuke and then introduce me to his circle of friends, then maybe I'll actually have a chance with him."

"Me befriend him! NO WAY IN HELL!" Naruto protested loudly before he could stop himself.

"Quiet, Naruto! You're going to draw attention!" Sakura pushed him away from the window. "And come on. What's wrong with Sasuke? You haven't even talked to him yet. He's a good guy."

"A good guy? Pshh, what a joke. That jerk is too arrogant for my liking. I mean, look at his smug face and ugly duck-butt hair, Sakura."

"Hey, don't insult Sasuke-kun! Just do it for me, please, Naruto? I can't lose to Ino-pig!"

Naruto looked into Sakura's eyes and sighed. He did not like the prospect of befriending this jerk-face who Sakura was so clearly in love with. However, he also did not like seeing her pleading with puppy eyes. The sight of her like this made him go weak in the knees, and he found it difficult to think of an excuse.

"Fine, I'm in. But I can't see how I'm going to befriend him, Sakura. I mean, in case you haven't noticed, I don't exactly have the best reputation around here."

"Don't worry," Sakura replied, her voice suddenly light and devious. "I've got a plan."

* * *

><p><em>Just to clear things up: I based their high school system on the one I'm going to. <span>There are only three grades<span> - 10, 11, and 12, which translate into the sophomore, junior, and senior years. That's why they can take biology and chemistry in the same semester and in their first year of high school. I'm sorry for any confusion this may have caused. _

_And a BIG thanks to my beta twinkletoast for meticulously picking out all the little mistakes. You really made this chapter shine! _

_(revised March 2013)_


	2. Plan

_Guess who's back!_

_A big thank you to those of you who took the time to write a review for my first chapter. Your feed backs mean the world to me and make me want to update sooner._

_NarutoLuver896: Don't worry. I planned this story to be NaruSaku and intend to keep it that way. Just sit back, enjoy, and wait for the magic to happen =)_

_dbzgtfan2004: Thanks for the comment! I'm a big believer in NaruSaku too._

_penggemar gratisan: updating now, dattebayo!_

* * *

><p>2. Plan<p>

Sakura woke up with a jolt. She glanced over at the alarm clock sitting on her bedside table and her heart skipped a beat - 9:50, it read. She was sooo late for school.

There was no time to put together an elaborate outfit. Sakura hurriedly threw on the same moss green cardigan she wore yesterday and snatched a pair of jeans from the heap of clothes on the floor, pulling it on.

She made it to the bathroom down the hallway in three giant steps. Oh boy, her hair looked as though a bomb had exploded inside a bird's nest, with pink strands sticking out in every possible direction. Sakura quickly ran over the mess with a wet comb before tying everything together in a bundle at the back of her head.

When she finally bounced down the stairs, the clock had already struck 10. There was a half-eaten sandwich in the fridge which she stuck into her bag before slipping her feet into a pair of sneakers and rushing out the door.

The entire suburban street was especially quiet as Sakura made her way towards the school. It was late Monday morning, and everyone had either gone off to work, school, or wherever they needed to be. With the exception of the occasional senior out walking their dog, there were no other souls in sight.

Sakura silently cursed herself for her own stupidity. She had stayed up late talking to Naruto on the phone, telling him everything she had planned out. She had become so obsessed over the details in her plan that she had forgotten to set her alarm before drifting off into sleep. Well, it was too late to do anything now, Sakura thought sulkily. All she could do was hurry along and hope her first block teacher was in a nice enough mood not to put her in detention.

The end-of-first-period bell rang just as Sakura stepped into the school. The girl breathed a sigh of relief. Thanks to her perfect timing, she wouldn't have to deal with her first block teacher, at least for now. She could just blend in with everyone else in the hallways preparing for second period. She'd worry about that unexcused absence which would show up on her report card later… much later when the first semester ended, and that was still months away.

Sakura was just approaching a corner when she felt a sudden force slam against her chest, causing her to retreat several steps backward before finally losing her balance and falling down to the floor.

"Watch where you're going, stupid!" the girl said angrily. The books which she had been holding in her hands just a few seconds ago were now scattered all over the floor. She was about to murmur a few more curses at the clumsy idiot who bumped into her until her eyes fell onto the person. She felt her heart race, blood now rushing up to her face.

Before Sakura stood a tall boy clad in a pair of navy blue jeans and a fitting grey button-up shirt with the collar left open, revealing a patch of nicely toned muscles underneath. And his face – black hair, black eyes, a mouth stretched into a trademark conceited smirk.

"You bumped into me first, girlie." Sasuke Uchiha said smugly.

"S-S-Sasuke-kun, I'm so sorry, I-I didn't mean to – "

"Forget it. I'm going to be late for class," Sasuke cut the girl off before stepping around her and walking away.

Sakura stared at his retreating figure, oblivious to the whispers that were now flaring up like wind sweeping across an open field.

"Oh my god! That was Sasuke, THE Uchiha Sasuke."

"Haha, did you see that stupid girl who bumped into him?"

"Never mind her; Sasuke-kun looked so cute when he smirked."

"Yeah, totally."

"Do you think he'll accept the love letter I wrote for him?"

"You what!?"

Like many other girls, Sakura was entranced by the mere sight of the dark-haired boy. She watched his shrinking silhouette disappear down the hallway and sighed. Sasuke Uchiha was so handsome yet so cold it made her heart ache just seeing him. She wanted more than anything to get close to him, a chance to make him happy. A giggle escaped Sakura's mouth as she pictured herself holding Sasuke's hand as they walked down a winding path together, herself in a beautiful white dress and him in a handsome black tuxedo. Somewhere in the distance, the sound of wedding bells chimed.

Wait a sec – wedding bells?

The sound was too shrill to be wedding bells.

Sakura snapped back into reality and found herself still seated on the floor, now with a stupid grin plastered onto her face and a little drool running down the side of her mouth.

There was something odd about the hallway too. It was quiet and empty. Everyone had already gone to class.

Crap, she was late again.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

When lunch finally came around, Sakura found Naruto by his locker.

"Oi, Sakura-chan!" The blond grinned. "Where were you this morning? I never thought you'd skip an _important_ class like chemistry."

"I didn't skip Naruto. I overslept."

"Because you were dreaming about me right, and didn't want to wake up?"

"Ha ha, very funny." Sakura said sarcastically, rolling her eyes. "Now listen, do you still remember the plan we were talking about last night?"

"Huh? What plan?"

"The plan to get me with Sasuke! Don't you remember?" Sakura said through gritted teeth. Gosh, boys could be so dumb sometimes.

"Oh… that." Naruto's grin faded, "So you weren't just talking in your sleep then. You really want me to try out for the soccer team?"

"Hell yeah. We've been through this already. You'll tryout for the team which Sasuke will be captaining for. Once you get on the team, you will become his friend and introduce me to him," Sakura explained breathlessly. A wide grin broke out on her lips. "Then I'll make him fall in love with me and we'll get married and live happily ever after."

"Whoa, Sakura. There's no guarantee that duck-butt-hair's gonna pick me for the team. I told you I've never kicked a soccer ball my entire life, right?"

"Oh that's easily fixed." She smiled at him. "I've thought it all out. Starting today, I'll teach you my awesome soccer skills every day until you're ready for the tryouts. I played a lot of soccer back in middle school."

Blue eyes widened. "Really? You will?"

"Yes Naruto." Sakura gave him a reassuring pat on the back before turning away. "I'll see you after school!" She called out cheerfully, pure excitement showing in her voice. The plan was brilliant, and it was going to work. Already, she could see the intricate pieces of the device turning in her head, like a clockwork system - a product of the hours of thinking that kept her awake last night.

And soon, she would be with Sasuke.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

Sakura recalled the day's events as she scrubbed a stubborn speck of dirt on the window pane. It had been a crazy morning. First, getting up late, then bumping into Sasuke Uchiha in the hallway, causing her to be late for Anko's class, which had earned her this detention. But it was worth it. It was Sasuke Uchiha she had bumped into. At least now he wouldn't think of her as just another annoying fan girl in the school – she was the clumsy, pink-haired _girlie_ who had _bumped_ into him.

Sakura hummed to herself as she scrubbed the same patch of dirt with twice the amount of force. She smiled in victory as the little dot slid off the window pane, revealing a smooth and shiny surface beneath.

"Almost done Sakura?" her teacher called out from somewhere in the classroom.

"Yes, Ms. Anko."

"Good. It's almost four now and I have to go home soon. So hurry up."

Sakura rolled her eyes behind her teacher's back. If Anko was in such a hurry to leave she should have just given her a break from all the scrubbing, instead of supervising her now as she laboured on. She considered wiping the last window as slowly as possible, just to tick her teacher off, but then decided against it because she had promised to meet up with Naruto later. She finished the job quickly.

When Sakura finally arrived at the soccer field outside the school, Naruto was already there, dribbling a soccer ball with his feet. Smiling, she ran up to him.

"Ready to play soccer?"

Naruto turned and waved. "Sakura-chan, you're here!" His bright smile quickly twisted into a smirk. "How was detention?"

"It was alright. Anko made me wash windows."

"Isn't that the janitor's job?"

"Apparently not." She shrugged. "Anyways, onto soccer now, I assume you know the rules already, right?"

"Yeah yeah." The blond waved a hand in the air. "Two teams chase after a ball and try to get it into each other's nets."

"Fair enough. I think we should practice passing the ball today, and shooting into the goal tomorrow. If you master these two skills, you'll make the team for sure."

"Sounds good coach."

Sakura led Naruto towards one end of the field and set the soccer ball down by her feet. "On the count of three, we'll both start running towards the other side. I'll be dribbling the ball with me and at some point, I'll try to pass it to you. It's your job to make sure you receive the ball, and then pass it back to me. We'll keep doing this until you feel comfortable, okay?"

He nodded.

"Ready. One, two, THREE!"

She took off. Naruto, who quickly ran ahead of her, kept his eyes on the ball and the field in front. Sakura kicked the ball to him, and he stopped it with his feet and continued down the field a little more before passing it back to her. They stopped upon reaching the goalposts.

"That was really good, Naruto!" Sakura beamed at him. "Keep this up and you'll be playing like a pro in no time."

After many more rounds up and down the field, the two fell onto the grass, utterly exhausted. For a few moments they stayed quiet, listening to the sounds of their breathing, staring up at the sky.

Dusk was falling. The sky was now a magnificent palette of crimson and orange lit by the setting sun. Lights sparkled in the windows of the houses in the distance. The quiet suburban streets were starting to grow noisy from the sound of people driving their cars home after a day at work.

"Same time tomorrow?" Sakura proposed after their moment of silence.

"You bet."

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

For the rest of the week, the two practised in the field everyday after school, with Sakura constantly teaching Naruto more tricks and tips on how to handle the ball, and Naruto working hard to refine his growing skills. It made Sakura proud seeing how much her student had improved. His kicks were no longer flimsy; they shot powerfully across the field. She also discovered Naruto had a very good aim, nearly always getting the ball past her and into the net, much to her annoyance as she had to endure his endless teasing about her terrible goalie skills afterwards.

"You played especially well today," Sakura said to Naruto after their last practice session. It was Friday after school, and at the same time next Monday Naruto would be down in this very field showing off his newly acquired skills to the soccer captain himself, along with many other hopefuls for this year's soccer team.

"I'm confident that you'll make it onto the team."

Naruto, who had bent down to tie his shoelace, looked up.

"You really think so?"

"I'm positive, so don't disappoint me! I've got a bet to win and a heart to steal."

"The plan's still on then?"

"Of course, idiot! Why else would I spend all my spare time after school for an entire week just helping you improve your soccer skills? I mean, when I could be at home, relaxing, watching T.V, doing other stuff."

"Right," Naruto muttered. He had enjoyed these afternoons spent with Sakura, hearing her cheer him on as he made his way down the field, soccer ball at his feet, teasing her about her inability to block his goals, and lying down in the soft grass after each practice. But he should have known… it was all for the sake of Sasuke.

Sakura noticed his change in mood.

"Hey," she said to the boy, "want to come to my house for dinner and ice cream, as a thank you for helping with my plans?"

Naruto's eyes lit up, "Are you sure, Sakura-chan? What about your folks… I mean, would they mind?"

"Don't worry about it. Usually I'm not allowed to bring boys over to the house, but I'm going to be alone until ten tonight so it doesn't matter."

"Geez, I still don't know…"

"It's alright. I'll say I dragged you into the house if you're afraid of getting into trouble. Besides, we have ice cream!"

"Yummy, ice cream. I'm in!" Naruto punched a fist in the air.

Sakura chuckled at the excited blond next to her. There was something about the boy that was just so warm, like a bright ray of sunshine on a clear summer day. She thought of how some classmates had warned her this very week not to get close to him after seeing them in the field together. One even went as far as to make up stories about how Naruto had once beaten up a gang of thugs and robbed a bank to scare her. She supposed it was his status as the new kid that made him the main target. She didn't understand why people always despised the new kids. They made fun of them, spread horrible rumours about them, hid their stuff, and generally made their lives miserable. Perhaps it was out of pity, but Sakura found herself especially making her way to be nice to Naruto because she hated the rumours, hated the people who spread them, hated seeing people get hurt. Why couldn't everyone just get along?

"So how far more to go?" Naruto asked after a brief period of silence.

"Almost there. Just down the corner." Sakura pointed to a blue two storey house in the distance. After unlocking the front door of her house, she led Naruto straight into the living room.

"Wait here, I'm going to go change first."

Naruto watched Sakura go up the staircase and felt unusually self-conscious. He realized this was the first time he's ever entered a girl's house - alone. He had been to other girls' houses for parties before, but there were always other people around. But this time, it was just Sakura and himself. Naruto decided to look around the living room in an attempt to calm his growing nerves. There was a blue couch pushed against the wall in front of him and he debated whether to stand and wait obediently like Sakura had told him or to invite himself to sit comfortably on the couch. In the end however, he chose not to move.

Sakura came down the stairs in a pink tank top and black shorts. She found her guest standing stiffly in her living room.

"Why are you still standing there like an idiot? Have a seat!" Sakura giggled and pointed at the blue couch.

"I… I was just waiting - "

"Oh I get it, you must be hungry. I'll go make some sushi."

Naruto followed Sakura into the kitchen. He watched as the girl opened up the fridge and gathered ingredients for their dinner. Suddenly he noticed the number of photographs neatly tacked onto the magnetic surface of the refrigerator. Each one featured the same woman, with her long, blond hair tied into two pigtails, standing next to a different child against the backdrop of the very blue house he was in at this very moment. The last photograph was no exception; the blond woman was in it all right, but next to her stood a pink-haired girl no older than twelve years of age.

"Dinner's ready," Sakura called out.

"Are these people your siblings?" Naruto turned to Sakura, pointing to the photographs.

Sakura set the sushi down on the dinner table and walked over to the fridge.

"Oh… them. Well, in a way they are. You see, I'm adopted, and the kids in these pictures are my adopted siblings. Although I hardly ever see them because they're all grown up now and have their own families to go to."

Naruto could only stare in disbelief.

"Tsunade has no children of her own, so she takes in orphans to give them a home. These pictures here were all taken on the first day we arrived at her house. I'm the fifth kid to call this place my home."

"Wow Sakura, how come you've never told me this?"

Sakura's brows furrowed together. "Does it matter?"

"N-no, don't take it the wrong way, Sakura-chan." Naruto braced himself for her slap, which never came. "I mean, I was just surprised that's all."

"Relax!" Sakura said, now smiling. She motioned for him to sit down as she brought over a tray of sushi. "Let's just eat the sushi now. I want to show you something afterwards.

For dessert they ate some chocolate ice cream (much to Naruto's delight). Soon after, Sakura brought him upstairs to the first door to the right. The first thing Naruto saw was the colour yellow. Every wall had been painted a mix of fresh lemonade, of morning sunshine, and perhaps even the shade of his own hair.

"Are you sure this is your room?" Naruto joked. "What happened to pink? I was expecting pink walls."

"This is my room, and pink is my favourite colour of course. But all this yellow cheers me up, you know. Every day, just waking up to this bright colour first thing in the morning and falling asleep with it every night, it's like living in the land of sunshine..."

Sakura's voice drifted off. Naruto saw that the girl was now pulling out a battered old suitcase from the space underneath her bed. After unzipping the zippers, she took out a fat photo album decorated with flowers on the front cover.

"Move over!" She motioned to the place next to her.

Naruto walked over and settled down on the floor, crossing his legs. Sakura balanced the photo album on one knee and flipped to the first page.

There was a photograph of a young couple with an infant, standing together on the balcony of some fancy, glass-covered high-rise building. In the woman's arms, she held a baby with a thin mop of roseate locks. Wide grins spread across the couple's faces. The baby, however, appeared to be rather upset, her little lips twisted into a big frown, as if she had just been rudely awakened from her afternoon nap to participate in the family portrait.

"Guess who?" Sakura pointed to the little girl in the woman's arms.

"So, that's what your natural face looks like. Your plastic surgeon sure did a good job fixing your face, Sakura-chan!"

"HEY!"

Naruto felt a slap on his back.

"You be quiet! I was crying in the picture, that's why my face looks weird."

"I'm kidding!" Naruto raised both hands to claim his innocence. "Where was this picture taken anyway? Looks like you guys are on the top floor of some business corporation's headquarters."

"That 'headquarter' happens to be our apartment."

"Oh… right." It was a stupid question really. Where else would a family take their portrait but in their own home?

"We lived in the heart of the city. And that's where I spent the early years of my life." Sakura stared into the picture, tracing a finger on her parents' faces as if to feel the warmth from memory. "It's so beautiful you know… the city. Especially at night when all the lights and display boards would come to life, it's like staring into a sea of twinkling night stars. And the noises, they really make you feel alive. I used to fall asleep to the sound of cars honking and voices chattering. When I first moved into Tsunade's house in the suburbs, I couldn't sleep for the first couple of nights. Everything was just so quiet, no lights, no noises, nothing. It's just so different from the city."

"Sounds like an amazing place to live."

"It is."

Sakura flipped through more pages of the album, each of them full of pictures showing the smiling family together. There were photographs of Sakura getting hotdogs from a hotdog stand, everyone relaxing together in a scenic park, Mom and Dad strolling hand in hand down a bustling street at night. Sometimes Sakura would smile and pause at a picture and start telling a story from memory. Other times she would try hard to hide a bad picture from Naruto's eyes. Naruto had fun trying to peek at those 'forbidden' photographs, teasing her about them and the embarrassing memories they brought up.

When they reached the very last page of the album, there was a single picture of Sakura, now about twelve or thirteen years old, dressed in a long black dress and poised to step into a black car. Naruto sensed the older Sakura beside him tense up immediately upon seeing this picture. Her sparkling green eyes which had been laughing at a funny story moments ago dimmed and faded into the distance, lost in the ghosts of the past.

Naruto mused at this new side of Sakura he had never seen before. He always thought of her as the carefree type of girl with a happy past, not a girl scarred by memories of a past life. He searched his brain for something to say, but nothing came, so he kept his mouth shut. Sometimes silence spoke more than words.

"They were killed by a drunk driver you know?" Sakura said finally, eyes still fixed on the photograph. "The drunk driver was driving a big truck. He overran a stop sign hit my parents' car. I suppose they would have gotten out okay had it not been for the fire that started right after. In the end all the bodies were so burnt that they c-couldn't… couldn't even identify their genders."

Naruto stared at the girl before him, now on the verge of tears, unsure of what to do. Jiraiya had only taught him how to pick up women, but not how to comfort crying teenage girls. He imagined pulling Sakura into his arms for a hug. But before he could act to it, Sakura had suddenly gotten up to dash to her bathroom, saying something about needing a moment.

Naruto looked down at the last picture that brought Sakura so much pain. He slammed the cover shut and stuffed the album into the suitcase where it belonged, then zipped up the suitcase and shoved it back underneath the bed.

From the bathroom down the hall came the faint sound of running water being splashed around. Naruto pictured Sakura washing her face, trying to erase the tear streaks. She must be one of those girls who only shared with others her joys and happiness and disliked showing her pain and tears.

When the bathroom door clicked open once again, out came a new and smiling Sakura, her face slightly damp from the water. She walked over to Naruto still sitting on her bedroom floor, not noticing the photo album which had disappeared.

"Thanks for listening to my stories, Naruto. You're the only person who knows I'm adopted. Did you know?"

"Really, what about Ino?"

"She doesn't know. With Ino we just hang around and gossip. I've never showed her the pictures in that album, let along tell her about my parents. She still thinks Tsunade is my aunt. And to think we've been friends for over four years now. It's weird, just thinking about telling her the truth about my parents makes me feel so exposed. I guess I'm afraid of being judged or being treated different."

"Then how come you are not afraid to tell me?"

"Well, with you it's different. I've heard those rumours about you floating around the school – not saying that I believe any of it," she quickly added after seeing Naruto tense up. "Maybe it's because of that, but there's just something about you that makes me want to spill my secret, and knowing you won't treat me differently because of it."

"Really?" Naruto's insides warmed. Hearing he was the only one who knew Sakura-chan's secret made him feel special.

"Well, I think in exchange for keeping your secret I ought to deserve a little something, like a kiss." Naruto grinned mischievously.

"Boys." Sakura rolled her eyes. "But I suppose just this once, and only as your friend."

She leaned over to place a light kiss on Naruto's cheek. Naruto immediately felt his entire face flush with heat. Sakura giggled at the sight of the blushing boy.

"Ha ha, look at you. Never had a kiss from a girl before, am I right?"

"Yes I have!"

"Have not moron. You're blushing a deeper red because of that lie!"

Naruto had a sudden urge to tape the laughing girl's mouth shut. "Dammit Sakura!"

But that only made Sakura giggle even harder.

"So who do you like at our school anyways?" Sakura asked after Naruto had stopped blushing.

"Uhh… nobody really. None of the girls catch my eye," he replied in a dry voice.

"Oh come on! There's got to be someone. You have to tell me so I can help set you up with her. It's the least I can do for all your help with Sasuke."

"Nah, I don't think I want a girlfriend just yet."

"But you'll want one eventually, right? So tell me who it is already! Is it Tenten? She's really funny. Wait, what about Hinata! I heard she's been crazy about you ever since she saw you on the first day. You're lucky because she happens to be my friend and it'll be easy setting it up for you."

But before Naruto could answer, the sound of the garage door opening reverberated throughout the entire house.

"Oh no, I can't believe I forgot the time! Quick, Naruto, go out the back door. She'll kill me if she sees a boy in the house!"

As the two teens fled down the stairs, the sound of a key rattling in the door could be heard. Sakura hastily did a double check around the living room and kitchen to make sure Naruto hasn't left anything behind that would give his visit away. She closed the back door after Naruto just as Tsunade came in from the garage entrance.

Naruto ran away from Sakura's house in full speed, his mind occupied with everything he had just learned about this interesting girl.

* * *

><p><em>Thanks again to cion for being my awesome beta!<em>

_Revised July 5, 2013._


	3. Team

_I'm very slow at updating, and I sincerely am sorry for delaying five months. But my summer really has been a hectic one and I worked almost every single day. I had this written up on paper weeks ago but didn't have the time to type it up on the computer._

_Anyways, before I bore you with my ramblings, here's chapter three._

* * *

><p>3. Team<p>

Sakura opened her eyes to beams of golden sunlight shining through the cracks between the two sides of her curtain. Yawning, the slender girl sat up straight in her bed, clad in a tank top and shorts as she recalled the events of the previous evening. It was lucky how the ceiling light in the garage was broken, so her guardian was forced to find her right keys in the dark, which took considerably longer. And this in turn gave Naruto sufficient time to escape through the backyard, and much to the relief of the pink-haired girl, unseen by her strict guardian.

The same girl's brows knit together as she remembered the last time Tsunade had discovered a boy in their house. It wasn't completely Sakura fault that time; it was just unfortunate how Tsunade happened to stumble upon them in the wrong place at the wrong time.

The incident happened last year on Sakura's fourteenth birthday. At school, her friends – especially Ino, Hinata and Tenten had spoiled her rotten with many gifts and presents, so much that she had to pile a good half of them in her homeroom as no more would fit in her locker. Now normally Sakura wouldn't have gotten so many presents on her birthday, but she suspected Ino had something to do with this, as her blond best friend and rival had temporarily called off their rival status to be only best friends again. There was no doubt the girl had managed to inform the entire school of Sakura's birthday, and nagged many to buy Sakura a present.

So the presents piled in a corner of the room like the colourful mountain, while Sakura enjoyed a whole class admiring their sight, that is until the end of the day when she was faced with the prospect of carrying them all back to her house. She didn't own a car, and none of her friends did, as they all lived close to the school and walked there every day. It was no use calling Tsunade for a ride either, as her guardian usually worked until seven in the evening at a hospital. Just as Sakura was debating whether to leave most of her presents overnight or not, down the halls came running a boy clad in a green tracksuit, with shiny black hair cut into the shape of a bowl.

"Rock Lee here to rescue my lovely cherry blossom." The boy spoke pompously to Sakura, "Please allow me the honour of carrying these presents back to your house."

Sakura rolled her eyes, "No thank you Lee, and don't treat me like a damsel in distress." The boy's enthusiasm was rather intimidating at times. And it was common knowledge that Lee's had his eyes set on the pink-haired girl ever since he saw her on the first day of school, as he had been actively pursuing her ever since, even publicly declaring his feelings for her every now and then. Sakura supposed she should feel honoured. After all, who wouldn't want the attention of an older, gentlemanly boy… especially someone who was also a member on Kononha's famous soccer team last year. However, Sakura found it hard to reciprocate Lee's feelings, as the boy was not-normal to her in an unattractive way.

"Oh no Sakura-chan, I insist!" Lee replied, "You see, I have the responsibility of delivering all my presents for you back to your house."

"You mean all these presents are from you?" Sakura's chin almost dropped to the ground as she leaned in close to inspect the presents. Indeed, aside from the three or four gifts from her friends, the rest all had the same words scrawled on a label in the bottom right corner which read: 'To the lovely Sakura blossom, happy birthday from Rock Lee.'

"I was only informed of your birthday yesterday. So I got you fourteen years worth of presents, one for each birthday." The bowl-haired boy explained with a smile.

"Wow… thank you Lee, now I don't know whether to laugh my head off or cry tears of gratitude."

Fifteen minutes later, Sakura found herself stepping through the front entrance to her home with Lee following closely behind, his two arms held out straight in front of him with the presents piled high over his head. Knowing how strict her guardian was regarding the no boys rule, Sakura seriously considered leaving Lee outside the front porch. But after everything the boy had done for her, and Sakura had to admit she was touched, it seemed rather rude to not invite the boy inside. Besides, Tsunade would be due home around seven, and it was only four o'clock in the afternoon.

"This way please." Sakura motioned her hands towards the staircase, "I want my presents up in my room."

"Ahh - Relief!" Lee fell back onto Sakura's bed after setting the pile of presents down on the floor.

Suddenly, a figure appeared in the doorway before neither teen uttered another word.

"Tsunade Sama!" Sakura exclaimed, "I didn't know you were home already!"

"The hospital had some interns in today, so there was less work for me. And since it was your birthday, I decided to take the afternoon off to spend some time with you. And why Sakura, who is this young man here?" Tsunade casted a suspicious look at the unsuspecting Lee, who quickly sat up straight from his comfortable sprawled across position on Sakura's bed, still panting from the strenuous lifting.

"Umm… He's just a friend." Sakura's mouth felt dry.

"Hello there, my name is Rock-Lee, Sakura's good friend and admirer from school." Lee flashed Tsunade a toothy smile, unaware of the cold look frozen on Sakura's guardian's face.

"But he's just a friend, and he only offered to carry my presents back home for me." Sakura added quickly.

"Is he?" Tsunade looked at Sakura, eyes skeptical, "Now I'm sure you remember my rules about having boys in the house Sakura."

"I do Tsunade-sama, But Lee really was just helping me carry my presents home. Really!"

"Oh I'm sure he was. Now please show him the way out Sakura, and quickly please, I want a word with you afterwards."

After sending home the clueless Lee, who seemed to have no idea of the trouble he had just caused for Sakura, the pink-haired girl was faced with the prospect of confronting her strict no-nonsense guardian. She found her sitting at their kitchen table, where serious discussions were usually held.

"Sakura, you are not a little girl anymore." Tsunade started in a stern voice, "You're now an attractive young lady whom many gentlemen will want to take advantage of, so you have to be very careful who - "

"Yes, I know Tsunade-sama. But really, Lee is just a harmless friend and nothing more."

"A guy friend who was about to sleep on your bed? I'm not stupid Sakura."

"Then what kind of girl do you think I am? Shouldn't you know the person you raised better than that?" Sakura couldn't help but snap angrily at her guardian, who seemed momentarily taken aback by her outburst.

"Sakura…" Tsunade let out a long sigh, "Honey, I know you're not, but the thing is I still couldn't see why it was necessary for you to let Lee into your room, especially when you could've just told him to leave whatever he was carrying out on the porch."

"But that would've been rude, and for heaven's sake why is it such a big deal!" Sakura found her patience draining. Tsunade was impossible, and why was it so hard to get her to believe her words?

Tsunade did not immediately reply. Instead, Sakura found her guardian's blue eyes boring into her green ones, silencing her of whatever retorts she was about to made next. "You know Sakura, many years ago I made a promise to your mother, that if anything ever happened to her and Karou, I'd be there to take good care of you, things like making sure no one ever hurts you, or patching up that first broken heart. You wouldn't want me to break that promise would you Sakura? Now as for your punishment, I want you to stay in your room for a whole month with no T.V, no computers, and no cellphone, understand?"

"A month! But that's a long time, look, can't you just - "

"No Sakura, I cannot go easy on you, you need to understand the severity of your actions and the lesson I'm trying to teach you here. So up you go now, no coming out except for school."

And with a final last wave of her hand, Tsunade sealed off the deal, cutting off any potential room for the pinkette to negotiate the terms of her punishment.

"Fine then! Be that way!" Sakura angrily pushed herself away from the kitchen table "I swear, one day I'm going to run away from you and get pregnant, see what you'll do then!" She added as she stomped her way up the staircase. It wasn't fair how she has to get grounded on her birthday out of all days. No, it wasn't fair how she's stuck with a strict guardian bound to her by some stupid promise she once made. And hell, why did her parents even have to die in the first place and leave her alone with that crazy guardian?

But then, since when had life ever been fair? This was something that's been drilled into the pinkette's head ever since… well, forever. But it was never so prominent until now.

The present day Sakura shook her head to rid herself of the memory. Heck, if that incident ever taught her anything, it was to adopt a sneakier and more daring attitude when rule breaking, hence the previous night's episode with bringing Naruto into her house.

And speaking of the blond boy… the events of the previous evening swam slowly into the pinkette's head as she recalled her breaking down into tears over some pictures in front of Naruto. Sakura suddenly felt like burying herself alive from embarrassment. She doesn't know why, or what, that caused her to shed tears so easily in front of someone she had known for just a little over two weeks. But never will she show him that vulnerable side of her ever again. At least it will take him more than just a bunch of old pictures. After all, she was the mighty Haruno Sakura-who-never-shed-a-tear-after-the-day-her-parents-died. She had promised to be strong, both for her parents and for herself. And nothing will ever change that, especially not some nosey blond boy whom she stupidly decided to show her old photo albums to.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

On the day of the Konoha Leafs soccer team tryouts, Sakura eagerly made her way towards the grass field when the end of the day bell rang.

It was another bright September afternoon, the sun shone down upon the many spectators already seated along the sidelines around the field as Sakura immersed herself in the crowd. It was obvious how popular the Konoha Leafs team is around the school, as its annual tryouts usually drew about as much crowd as a championship game. Students from all years would stroll down to watch and socialize with friends after a whole day of sitting in the classrooms. Chip bags were opened, soda cans were popped, girls would set their cameras ready on standby to sneak in shots of the handsome Konoha Leafs' captain, also known as Konoha High's heartthrob – the one and only Uchiha Sasuke.

No sooner had the pinkette seated herself close to the centerline did a loud voice call out from somewhere behind her, startling the girl, "Hey forehead! What are you doing here?"

Sakura turned her head. There was only one person in the world who ever called her that and got away with it, "Ino pig, obviously I'm here to watch the tryouts."

A tall girl with long blond hair walked up to sit right beside her, followed by a dark-haired girl with white eyes.

"And hi Hinata!" Sakura waved to her other friend, who gave her a shy smile in acknowledgement, "Are you guys here to watching the tryouts too?"

"Duh forehead, I'm here because my Sasuke-kun is here." Sakura's blond friend rolled her eyes.

"The last time I checked pig, Sasuke-kun doesn't belong to anybody, but he'll be mine soon." Sakura answered with a smirk.

"In your dreams Billboard brow, he'll never notice you with that big forehead of yours in the way."

"Right, as if you even have a chance with him yourself pig."

"Billboard Brow!"

"Pig!"

"Billboard br-"

"Guys, enough already!" Hinata situated herself between her two arguing friends. She was growing vary of having to break up their bickering, which she had already done three times today. The two has been constantly clawing at each others' throats ever since the news of Sasuke's breakup with his former girlfriend went public around the school. Considering they only fought like this whenever Sasuke became single (which seem to occur every couple months), the black-haired girl decided that the rival status between Ino and Sakura had once again come to replace their friendship.

Hinata stole a glance at her two friends. Ino had now taken to crossing her arms, eyes staring out into the empty field ahead. On Hinata's other side, Sakura seemed to be doing the same, wearing a sullen expression on her face. They were giving each other the silent treatment.

Secretly, Hinata wished Sasuke would just hurry up and pick another girl already, but of course someone other than Ino or Sakura, as it would put an end to all this bickering and restore her two friends back to normal once again. She much preferred the Ino and Sakura who laughed at each other's jokes rather than the current ones who constantly try to rip out each other's throats. But unfortunately, she seemed to be the only one right now with a clear enough head to see how precious their friendship was. The same friendship which had started out over a strawberry jam sandwich back in the first grade and managed to survive past the long bumpy road through junior high and all the way into high school, a friendship worth much more than some stupid boy.

'The most popular boy', Hinata thought and rolled her eyes, whom neither Ino nor Sakura would probably ever have a chance with, as there was just too much competition. But the good news was, once Sasuke picks his newest girlfriend, there would be a lot of crying and comforting between Sakura and Ino. With many hugs and long chats shared over sleepless sleepovers spent bashing whichever new girl Sasuke has started dating. And life would be all good once again.

"Look, it's Sasuke-kun!" Ino suddenly exclaimed, excitedly pointing toward the far edge of the soccer field where two tiny figures were immerging.

"And there's my cousin Neji too, with the bag of soccer balls on his back." Hinata said to her two friends.

"Neji? Oh, I almost forgot, he's Sasuke's co-captain isn't he Hinata?" Sakura looked over to her dark-haired friend, "And I heard he's supposed to have a say in the final picks for the team this year!"

"Yep!" Answered Hinata, "They are looking for twelve players this year, Sasuke will be picking eight people, and Neji four people. Oh look, there comes the rest of the them!"

Now exiting from the back door of the school building came a long line of boys dressed in soccer jerseys, shorts, knee socks, and cleats. The conga line of new Konoha Leafs hopefuls came to a halt in the middle of the field to stand face to face with Sasuke and Neji.

Excessive chatters died down around the sidelines as all spectators focused their attentions on the events about to occur at the center of the field.

"All right everyone, we'll begin with some warm-ups first." Co-captain Neji addressed the group, "ten laps around the field everyone."

While the group took off, Sasuke and Neji stayed in the middle of the field to set up a line of soccer balls on the ground.

Sakura watched the jogging group as they went around the field and spotted a few familiar faces in that group. First there was the hard-to-miss Lee in a green tracksuit who gave Sakura a big wave as he passed close to where she was sitting. And also among the group, with his bright standout yellow hair and oddly tattooed whiskers on his face, was Uzumaki Naruto. Sakura tried to smile at the boy as he passed by but could not catch his eye, or rather, he was making it hard to by purposely staring at the ground as he jogged and not making any eye contact with anyone. Suddenly Sakura felt a sense of guilt rising within her. It wasn't like Naruto to be so gloomy like that, and she knew exactly what kind of pressure was causing him to behave that way. But then again, from the way he played with her during their little practice sessions, she was confident he would get picked for the team. Sakura promised herself to treat Naruto to dinner if he gets onto the team, and maybe even a lifetime of free dinners if her devious plan succeeds.

"Everyone divide up into partners and grab a soccer ball, we'll be starting some passing drills right now!" Neji announced again as the out-of-breath runners slowly pulled in from their laps.

After some great commotion, everyone was finally divided up into pairs and started passing the ball to their partners, back and forth. Everyone but Naruto, that is, as nobody wanted to partner up with the strange new kid with a shady reputation.

"Yo Sasuke, play with me will ya?"

Sakura watched in mild surprise as her blond friend stepped up to stand face-to-face with the soccer captain. Sasuke's eyebrows rose at this blatant display of dominance, though he did not reject the offer, but instead silently walked over to join the blond boy.

"You're that new kid they keep talking about aren't you? I guess we'll see how good you are soon enough."

"Haha, bring it on duck-butt!"

The crowd gasped. Sakura's insides cringed. And beside Hinata, Ino murmured, 'who does he think he is that idiotic new boy?'

Back onto the field, Sasuke had his own share of a shock, but he hid it well with the calm expression displayed on his face.

"What did you just call me dobe?" The black-haired captain demanded; his face dark.

"I said, Duck-Butt! Isn't that what people call you Sasuke, for your hair?"

All eyes were on the captain and the new boy now. Even the soccer players stopped kicking their balls to watch Sasuke and Naruto, sensing an interesting fight.

Back on the sidelines, Sakura half-expected the crowd to start chanting 'fight, fight, fight' like they sometimes do in movies. But the atmosphere remained silent, with static charging up in the air.

Dark-eyes stared down blue ones in the middle of the field, a line of electricity zapping from iris to iris. With a smirk, the soccer captain walked away from Naruto to stand next to an unused soccer ball. Then, taking a huge step backwards from the ball, Sasuke swung a foot forward in a swinging motion, powerfully launching the ball into the air. Heads turned and followed the ball's arching path as it flew across the sky toward Naruto, making a hard landing upon a head full of messy blond spikes.

"Ouch teme! What was that for!?"

"Hn, you asked for it dobe."

Naruto madly rubbed the spot on his head where the ball had landed, tears almost falling out of his eyes from the pain. Sasuke was not the captain for nothing, as he had an unusually strong kick. But the blond was determined to not shed any tears, especially with everyone watching. Instead, he swallowed his pain and performed his own swinging foot motion to kick the soccer ball which had landed at his feet.

Heads turned and followed the ball once again, but this time in the opposite direction as it made its way in the familiar arch across the sky. Sasuke barely realized what was happening; he was still basking in his victory of hitting Naruto in the head. And before he had a chance to duck, the ball had reached him narrowly missing his head, only to land on soft contact at a spot directly below Sasuke's stomach, smack in the place between his legs, to be more precise.

The ball silently fell to the ground after hitting its target, leaving an eerie silence across the entire soccer field and a soccer captain bent over in pain.

Had it been any other person Sakura was sure the atmosphere would have been different, very different. People would have been livelier for one, with the crowd exploding in jeers and laughter instead of this uncomfortable silence. But no, this was not just any person; this was Uchiha Sasuke, THE Uchiha Sasuke in charge of the school soccer team, and the poster boy for Mr. Popular at Konoha High.

And of course, Sasuke was not one to take a huge blow like that to his ego lightly, especially not from some new moron here to challenge his place in the school. The captain straightened his back, ignoring the searing pain shooting up from between his legs, and walked towards Naruto with a fist raised high in the air and a murderous glint in his eyes.

"No Uchiha!" A hand, belonging to the co-captain's, grabbed Sasuke's fist before it could make any contact.

"Let go Hyuga." Sasuke growled.

"No. I won't let you get into trouble for starting a fight."

"Just let go of me!" Sasuke tried to wiggle free from Neji's grip, but was unsuccessful.

"The kid has a reputation for hurting people, what if he hurts you?"

"I don't care! Just let me punch him!"

"They'll kick you off the soccer team if you get into a fight Sasuke. You wouldn't want to disappoint your father would you?"

The angry captain froze at the mention of his father's name, his shoulders rising and falling sharply from breathing hard. Meanwhile Naruto, who did not dare speak a word during the whole ordeal, remained frozen on his own spot.

"This isn't the end Uzumaki." Sasuke glared at Naruto before turning to Neji, "Resume the tryouts, I'll be watching from the sidelines."

For a tense few seconds, the entire field was so silent you could hear the chirping of distant birds. All eyes were still glued onto the soccer captain's back as he made his way towards a corner of the field.

The silence was interrupted by Neji's voice. "Well, what are you guys waiting for. Line up in front of the goal, we'll see how your shooting skills are."

There was another great unrest as everyone struggled to get into the line.

"Do you think Sasuke will be okay?" Back on the sidelines, a concerned Ino spoke out loud.

"Oh I'm sure he will be Ino. It's not like he was bleeding." Hinata replied.

"Yeah, and he can still walk." Sakura added, "Besides, I'm more worried about what he's going to do to Naruto."

"Oh please forehead, that blond moron deserves it for what he called Sasuke."

"But what he said is kind of true." Hinata giggled as her blond friend shot her a death glare.

"I mean the look in Sasuke's eyes when he had his fist raised, it looked like he was capable of murder. I just hope Naruto will be okay."

"Oh, what is this forehead? Are you switching onto Naruto's side now? This means I'll win our bet."

"Dream on pig!" Sakura did not bother telling Ino it was she who first dragged Naruto into this, "And you'll never win the bet in a million ye- "

"Guys!" For the second time that afternoon, the bickering girls were shushed by an annoyed Hinata, who brought their attention back towards the soccer field.

The rest of the tryouts proceeded uneventfully as each player took their turn trying to shoot the ball into the net past Neji. Sakura had to admit, Naruto's shooting skills were well above average. Out of ten shots, whereas everyone else averaged around two or three goals, Naruto was able to kick the ball past Neji five times out of ten.

"Well done everyone." Sasuke walked over to the center of the field after the last player had taken his shots. "I'll be announcing my picks for the team in a moment." The captain paused with a mischievous glint in his eyes as he waited for the crowd to quiet down, a hand casually jammed into his pocket and showing no signs of the prior accident.

"First member, Rock Lee!" Everyone in the field clapped and cheered as an ecstatic Lee sprinted towards Sasuke to receive his green and blue Konoha Leafs uniform.

"Thank you, thank you!" Lee bowed to the crowd and snatched Sasuke's megaphone out of his hands before continuing, "I want to thank everyone who turned up to watch my performance today. It's been an honor to be here - "

"Sit down Lee, this isn't an awards ceremony." Sasuke angrily snatched his megaphone back and chased Lee away. "And our second member will be, Kiba Inuzuka!"

Once again the crowd clapped and cheered as a heavily sweating boy ran up to receive his uniform, a wolfish grin stretching across his flushed face.

And so the process went on for six more times. When Naruto's name still wasn't called after the seventh, Sakura was beginning to get very worried.

"Why isn't Naruto picked yet?" Sakura absentmindedly said to her two friends.

"Yeah, I wonder why? He scored the most goals out of everyone else here today." Said Hinata.

"Please guys, you really expect Sasuke to pick him after what happened?" Ino rolled her eyes at her friends.

And when the eighth spot went to another member of the Hyuga clan, Sakura couldn't hold her frustration anymore.

"Please, what is that Sasuke doing? You'd think he'd put his grudge aside and do what's best for the team by picking Naruto."

"You know, you're kinda right forehead." Ino agreed, "The Leafs do need some great forwards, but why do you want Naruto to be picked so badly anyway?"

Sakura's reply was cut short by Neji's entrance onto the center of the field. "And here are my picks today." He announced to the crowd.

"First one, Nara Shikamaru!" A boy with a short ponytail was greeted with claps and cheers again as he went to join his new team members.

"Next, Uzumaki Naruto!"

"Yes, Yes! I'm in!" The blond boy ran up in delight as the crowd erupted in cheers, louder than anything before.

"Wait!" Sasuke held out a hand to block Naruto from getting his uniform. "What is the meaning of this Neji?"

Neji looked as determined as he turned to face his captain. "He plays well Sasuke, and I want him on the team."

"I refuse to tolerate a moron like him on my team."

"But you have to admit Sasuke, the kid's got good aim."

"Well, I'm not taking him, pick someone else." The captain glared at the Hyuga.

"Is this because of what happened Sasuke?" Neji glared back at the captain.

"Of course not, it's his attitude."

"That can be changed, right Naruto?" Neji turned back to the blond and handed him his uniform, "Uzumaki, you will give Sasuke your respect will you?"

"I will, I will Sasuke-kun! Believe it!" Naruto flashed the captain a grin followed by a thumbs up.

"Hmph, I don't care." Sasuke crossed his arms before stalking off towards the change rooms, leaving Neji alone to announce his final two picks.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

When he exited the change rooms, Naruto found a pink-haired girl waiting for him with a bag full of instant ramen in one hand.

"Congrats! I knew you'd make it!" The pinkette ran over at the sight of the blond boy and engulfed him in a tight hug.

"Cute girlfriend Uzumaki." A new teammate remarked as he passed them on his way out from the change rooms. Several more players exiting behind him snickered.

Embarrassed, Sakura released Naruto from her hug. "And I suppose I should hit you for picking a fight with Sasuke, but right now I'm just too happy you made it onto the team."

"Phew, I'm glad Sakura-chan, you know I did it for you."

"I know. So dinner's on me today Uzumaki, where to?"

"Really Sakura-chan? Then Ichiraku's it is!" Naruto jumped up into the air in delight. Sakura smiled at her friend's reaction before following him on their way to the ramen shop.

* * *

><p><em>Reviews keep me going! And chappie four will be up sooner (I hope) because I already have it planned out. Thank you to everyone who bothered to read my story, because it's you guys that keep them alive. See ya soon!<em>


	4. Party

4. Party

Naruto came home to a dark and empty house. After kicking off his sneakers at the door, he walked straight into the kitchen. Sure enough, there was a note left for him on the little kitchen table from his guardian.

'Off to do emergency research in Suna. Back in a few weeks. Ramen's in the cupboard and money's next to the fridge. Behave yourself kid. – J'

Naruto folded the note into half and then quarters before tossing it into the trash which, now that he looked at it, was piled to the top with brown cabbage, rotten apples, and mushy orange peels. He shook his head in disgust. Jiraiya never bothered to do any housework when he came home, leaving everything to him. Holding his breath he quickly tied the bag and dragged it off towards the door.

With the garbage gone, Naruto filled the kettle with tap water and placed it on the stove. Then he turned on the T.V. while he waited for the shrill of the kettle so the house wasn't so painfully silent. When the water was finally ready, he poured it into a cup of instant ramen and sank into the couch. With chopsticks in hand, a hungry Naruto began to eat.

Although Naruto already had dinner at his favourite ramen shop with Sakura, he was still hungry. Since Sakura was paying, he didn't have the heart to eat six or seven bowls like he normally would. He didn't want to empty Sakura's wallet, or worse, have her think that he was a pig. Instead, Naruto had settled for two bowls only and decided to fill the rest of his stomach at home.

The channels on the T.V. screen flickered one after another as Naruto absentmindedly pressed buttons on the remote, too preoccupied with what had happened to focus. It had been a pleasant evening, with Sakura being exceptionally cheerful talking to him about the soccer team and how he had made the cut. Naruto, on the other hand, had been consumed in his ramen which he thought tasted better than any other bowls he had had before. It was a great feeling to eat dinner with someone else for once in his life.

He finished the bowl within minutes. Remembering Jiraiya's note, Naruto walked back to the fridge and found a thin stack of bills laid out on the counter. There was $60 in total, barely enough to last him two weeks. Yet he doubted Jiraiya would be home by then. He had probably taken off with a new lady he met, so he wouldn't be back after a month. Regardless, money is still money, Naruto thought as he shoved the bills into his pocket. He'd find a way to make them last. He always did.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

For the next week, Naruto went to school as usual. He arrived to all of his classes on time and tried hard to pay attention. None of the kids in school talked about him anymore. His newbie status had worn off and they had moved on to new gossip, like Sasuke's brother Itachi who apparently was back in town. Naruto was ignored like every other kid at school. He was one of them now.

At lunch he ate with boys from the soccer team, who had become his close friends now. Sometimes Sakura would join them, 'probably hoping to see Sasuke', Naruto thought with a grimace. But most of the time, neither Sasuke nor Sakura would be in his sight for entire lunch periods at a time.

Tuesdays and Thursdays were Naruto's favourite, because those days meant soccer practice for a good two hours after school. Naruto had to admit, for a sport he'd only watched on T.V. before, it was a heck of a lot more exciting when you played it yourself. He enjoyed running up and down the field chasing the ball, with the wind running through his hair and adrenaline pumping in his blood. He also liked seeing Sakura's face in the stands, always bright among a cluster of regular spectators. And most of all, Naruto loved the look of annoyance on their captain's face every time he saved a goal, as that always brought a wave of claps and cheers from their admiring audience. Apparently Sasuke hated the attention he got from his fan girls.

After school Naruto came home to his apartment and cook dinner for himself. Afterward he struggled on his homework for a good two hours before going to bed. Despite his guardian's temporary absence, Naruto was too content with his life to feel lonely and depressed. He was staying out of trouble for once, attending school regularly and playing as a member on the school's prestigious soccer team. For the first time in his life he felt like he had a purpose, one that did not involve pulling pranks or causing trouble.

It was almost two weeks since Jiraiya's disappearance. Naruto was sitting at his desk, scratching his head as he tried to solve a difficult math problem, when the house phone rang. Curious at who would call Jiraiya at such an hour, Naruto picked up the receiver.

"Jiraiya's not home, leave your name and number please," he started on autopilot without giving the person on the other end a chance to speak.

"It's me, Sakura, dummy," a familiar voice replied.

Naruto brightened immediately. "Hi, Sakura-chan! How are you?" He was surprised; Sakura always called him on his cell phone.

"Impatient after trying to call your cell for, like, the millionth time." Naruto could picture her rolling her eyes on the other end.

"Sorry, I must have forgotten to charge it again. So what's up?"

"Well, I've been busy planning the next step, and Tenten helped me come up with a great idea."

"Wait, who's Tenten?"

"You haven't met her yet? She's Neji's girlfriend, the one who always puts her hair up in two buns."

"Wait, Neji has a girlfriend?"

"Yeah, you didn't know?"

"No. I never thought he looked like the type to be interested in girls. I mean, he's just so busy with soccer and everything..."

"Whatever," Sakura replied curtly. "Now about the plan, Naruto."

"Wait, I thought we already had one."

"Yes we do, but at the current rate we are going, we'll never get anywhere."

"It won't?" Naruto asked dumbly. He thought Sakura's plan was perfect - it would just take more time for Sasuke to notice, that was all.

"Ugh! You're so slow, Naruto. Can't you see? Sasuke never eats with you guys, he always disappears at lunch, he never hangs around after practice, and he always makes that unhappy face whenever the girls cheer him on during practice."

"Well, what do you know, maybe he's actually smiling, nobody's seen him genuinely smile before, so his actual smile might be a grimace."

"Very funny." Naruto pictured Sakura rolling her eyes again. "But like I said, at this rate I don't think we'll get very far. That's why you, Naruto, are going to throw a party."

"What!" Naruto almost choked on the gum he was chewing.

"A party, Naruto. You are having one."

"But… Why me, what's the occasion?"

Sakura chuckled. "Why you? It's because you are on the soccer team. This way you can invite all your teammates, including the captain, and say that it's a team bonding party or something."

"Yeah? And what makes you think Sasuke's gonna show up?"

"Well, Tenten and I sort of figured that Sasuke will have to show if you say the party's good for the team as it will pull everyone closer together and strengthen your bond with each other. This way you guys can win more games and maybe even the championships."

"Makes sense." Naruto was still a little unconvinced.

"Oh, and we've got Tenten helping too, she can convince Neji to say the party is mandatory and even drag Sasuke there if he refuses to come."

"Sounds good, but I still don't understand why it's gotta be at my place."

"Oh Naruto, you know I can never have it here. Plus it would look weird if you're inviting the team to a girl's house for a party."

"Why not, a lot of the guys think you're cute." And that you're my girlfriend, he almost added. "They'll totally come!"

Sakura chuckled again before replying, "I wish I could, but you know how strict Tsunade is, she'll never allow it, especially if guys are coming."

"Well then, I don't know, I'll have to think…"

"Please Naruto, do this one last thing for me." Sakura was using her pleading little girl voice.

Naruto considered it. Jiraiya never liked it when he brought friends over. They were always too loud, he would complain, insisting that the house be absolutely quiet so he could work on his novels. But since he was gone this week, and possible a good two or three more, he decided his guardian wouldn't mind a little messiness and noise in his absence. Besides, it wasn't like the perverted love stories he worked on were of any importance anyway.

"Fine, I'll have a party this Friday, at my place," he replied, finally giving in with a sigh.

"Aww, thanks Naruto. You're the best!" Sakura squealed with delight.

After hanging up, Naruto sank back onto the chair in front of his math homework, and wondered exactly what he had just gotten himself into.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o 0o0o0o

At 6 pm on Friday, cars started arriving on the street in front of the apartment. Several teenage boys got out of the cars and swarmed into the building.

Just half an hour ago, Naruto was still bustling about inside, setting up the tables for the food and refreshments. He had already bought some soft drinks and chips from the grocery store, and then ordered ten big pizzas of various flavours. Everything, of course, was all paid for by Sakura, as she had arrived several hours earlier with Tenten (who also had dragged Neji along) to help Naruto with the preparations.

"I still don't see why I'm here so early," Neji said with a scowl. The co-captain was currently slumped across Naruto's couch in a miserable manner, unhappy after being bossed around by Tenten. "I'm missing my Friday afternoon nap."

"Stop being a baby, and you sound like Shikamaru," Tenten shot back at him from the kitchen.

"I don't care. Why are you so worked up about the party anyways? You're not even invited."

Sakura and Tenten shared a meaningful glance. They were treading on dangerous waters. Besides Naruto, none of the boys knew about the true intent for the party.

"It's because," Tenten replied, "Sakura and I promised to help Naruto prepare for it, since none of you guys volunteered to, but this was all your idea, right Naruto?"

"Huh… it is?" Naruto looked up from the table he was currently trying to set up. Sakura shot him a look and he caught on quickly. "Ahh… I mean of course, this party was entirely my idea."

If Neji felt any suspicion at all, he did not show it. Slumping down even further onto the couch, he mumbled something that sounded faintly like 'crazy woman.'

"Say that again and I'll kick your ass," Tenten replied crossly. "And go set up the stereo instead of lying about."

Reluctantly, Neji got off the couch again and went to find the speakers, grumbling the entire way.

Sakura chuckled. "You two bicker like a married couple."

Tenten blushed. "Shut up, Sakura."

For the next few minutes, the whole apartment was silent except for the sound of Naruto blowing up balloons, Sakura struggling to open more bags of chips, and Neji making a racket while looking for the speakers in the living room.

"Hey Naruto, where's the nearest outlet around here?" Neji's voice came from the living room. Naruto walked over to find the co-captain holding the end of the stereo's plug in one hand while bending down onto the floor to peer behind his furniture.

"Next to the sofa on your right."

Neji jammed the plug in, and pop music started blaring through the speakers at once. As if on cue, the sound of the doorbell rang at exactly the same time.

"Must be the guys." Neji walked towards the door. "Are the girls done preparing yet?"

"Pretty much," Naruto said as he followed Neji towards the door.

Kiba, Shikamaru, and Sai, followed by several other boys, stepped in through the doorway. Kiba was grinning from ear to ear as his head bobbed to the beat of the music. "It's gonna be a great party man!"

Behind him, Shikamaru said nothing, merely raising his eyebrows as greeting. Naruto knew the lazy genius would rather sit at home and watch the clouds than drag his butt here, so he felt honored that Shikamaru had actually came.

Soon, almost everyone had arrived, and there was a full-scale dance-off in Naruto's living room. Someone had shut the curtains so music videos could be seen playing on the large T.V. screen. Guests were either talking or dancing. And needless to say, Rock Lee was the life of the party, going all out with fancy dance moves, powered by the flames of 'his youth'. Naruto smiled at the great time everyone was having. He too was enjoying this as he felt himself move to the beat of 'Dynamite', mingling in with the crowd. It reminded him of how much fun he had the last time he danced in a nightclub while traveling with Jiraiya in Mist.

Half an hour later Naruto found Sakura sitting alone by the pizza table next to a full plate of chips and an uneaten slice of cheese pizza. He was feeling a little hot from dancing and was also thirsty. Grabbing a Sprite, he sank into the chair next to her.

"Not joining the party?"

She looked down at the Styrofoam cup full of apple juice and slowly shook her head. "Sasuke didn't show up."

"Oh." It took Naruto a few seconds to recall the original purpose of this party. "I'm sure the bastard will show up eventually. He's probably running late."

"The party started half an hour ago, Naruto. Everyone else is here. He's not going to come."

"Don't be so sure. Let's call him and see."

"You have his number? Because I don't."

"Actually, me neither, but I'm sure Neji does." Naruto spied the co-captain talking to a group of people next to the T.V. "Yo Neji! Can you call Sasuke and ask him when he's coming? It's not a party without the captain."

Neji nodded, pulling a cellphone out of his pocket. Naruto turned back to the girl sitting next to him.

"You should eat that, you'll be hungry." He pointed to the untouched slice of pizza in her plate.

Sakura shook her head and sighed. "I'm sorry I put you up to all this, Naruto, and not have Sasuke show up. It was a waste of your time."

"Nah, we can just forget about him and party it out ourselves, Sak."

"Don't call me that."

"Whatever you wish, Sakura-chan. You know, it's been a long time since I've had this much fun myself; so I'm glad I threw the party."

Just then, Neji's voice called out from the other side of the room. "Sasuke's not coming, Naruto. Said his car broke down and Itachi refused to give him a ride."

"What? But his parents just bought him that car, new!"

"If you ask me, that's just an excuse," Neji said, shrugging.

"But the party was mandatory. You said that to him, right?"

"I did. But Sasuke goes by his own rules. And if it was up to me, I wouldn't invite him at all, since all he'll ever do here is sulk."

"Gimme your phone, I'll talk to him myself." Naruto stood up, about to walk over to grab Neji's phone.

"Don't, Naruto!" Sakura tugged at his sleeve. "I don't think Sasuke will come. He probably made up his mind already."

"I can convince him. Heck, I'll even yell at him to come."

"Just forget it, Naruto. I should've known Sasuke wasn't the party type, it was my fault."

"Hey Naruto! Come back and join us!" Kiba called over to Naruto from the living room.

Naruto turned to look at Sakura, who waved him away. "Go. I'll come later. I think I'd rather be alone right now."

The blond boy watched as Sakura got up from her spot and went into his washroom, closing the door behind her. He knew she was better off alone at the moment. Reluctantly, Naruto went back out onto the 'dance floor' but felt bitterly uninspired. He headed to the kitchen to grab more food, only to find Tenten standing next to his kitchen counters, a knife in hand, cutting an apple into slices which she eventually dumped into a big bowl next to her cutting board.

"Hey, Tenten." Naruto walked over, peering curiously over the girl's shoulder.

Startled, Tenten gave a loud gasp and almost dropped the knife in her hand.

"Jeez Naruto! You scared me!"

"Hey! How do you know my name?"

"Of course I know." Tenten turned back to her apples. "I've just spent the afternoon helping you prepare for the party didn't I?"

"Right," Naruto murmured. They had been so occupied this afternoon that the four of them barely had the time to talk, so it surprised him that she remembered his name at all.

"You're a good person you know," Tenten said without looking up. "That girl - Sakura's been through a lot. And lately she's been telling me how much you've been helping her."

"Did she?" Naruto could feel himself going red. He had never been complimented like that before, especially by girls. "And what about you, Tenten? What are you doing here sacrificing your Saturday night to cut apples?"

Tenten smiled at him. "Well, Sakura is my friend, and this party was my idea too, so I felt obligated to help. Besides, I'm so sick of seeing my friends fight that Hinata and I decided to split up, with Hinata helping Ino and me helping Sakura trying to win over Sasuke to end their ridiculous bet."

"I know what you mean." Naruto nodded, taking a knife out of the drawer to help her.

"Hey! Wash it first! That's gross." Tenten slapped his hand when she saw him hold the knife over the apple.

"This whole infatuation all the girls have with Sasuke is gross," Naruto continued over the noise of the running water, unbothered by her exclamation. "What do they see in him anyway? He's just a grumpy old bastard with no heart."

Tenten laughed, unable to disagree. "You don't understand, Naruto. Sasuke is the epitome of the perfect bad boy."

"So?" Naruto dried his apple with a towel.

"So, most girls tend to fall for his type. And it doesn't help now that he's suddenly single after dumping his sixth girlfriend during the summer break."

"Sixth girlfriend? Man! And here I was thinking the guy was gay."

Tenten gave another laugh at this. "Well, you're definitely wrong then. Sasuke enjoys playing the game. To him, the prize at the end is all that matters to boost his ego."

Naruto shook his head in distaste before violently chopping a piece off his apple. "If Sasuke loves playing the game so much, then how come he's still single? He's got like a million fan girls practically throwing themselves at him."

"Sasuke doesn't just go out with anybody," Tenten replied sagely. "He chooses the girls for the most specific reasons. Sometimes he steals the girlfriends of any guy who got in his way. Other times he picks the ones that impress him with their confessions. And I think that's what Sakura was planning to do, confessing to him."

"Wait - So Sakura knows all this stuff about him?"

"Of course. Everyone knows that Sasuke Uchiha is the biggest playboy of Konoha High!" Tenten exclaimed.

"Then what is she doing trying to confess to him? He'll just end up hurting her in the end!" Naruto cut off an apple slice so hard that juice sprayed everywhere on the counter.

Tenten glared at him to stop before dabbing at the juice daintily with a towel. "She doesn't care, Naruto. Like all of Sasuke's fan girls, she's too infatuated to care about the consequences. And there's the bet with Ino too. Both of them are very competitive, wanting to beat the other. In this case, winning means becoming Sasuke's girlfriend."

"But can't you do anything, Tenten? You can't just let one of your best friends hurt herself like that."

Tenten shook her head. "Sorry Naruto. Hinata and I have tried many times. But it looks like all we can do right now is let Sakura and Ino go their own ways and learn from the experience themselves." The brunette finished cutting the last bit of her apple and slid them into the fruit bowl where they joined the mountain full of apple blocks.

"Come on Naruto. I think Neji's starting a movie, we better go join them. Have you seen Sakura at all? I wonder how her confession went."

"It didn't happen. Sasuke didn't show up."

Tenten gasped and looked at him with a dumbfounded expression on her face, her eyes as wide as marbles. "What do you mean?"

"Neji called him; he said his car was broken."

Tenten frowned. "Poor Sakura, I hope she's alright. Where is she?"

"She's in the bathroom; she said she needed some space."

"Oh my god! Why didn't you tell me earlier? I should've been comforting her." Without another word, Tenten thrust the fruit bowl into Naruto's hands before running off.

Sakura and Tenten didn't come out until much later that night, after the boys had gotten to the middle of the movie. Tenten went and sat beside Neji on the couch while Sakura came over to Naruto, quietly sitting down without a word.

"You okay?" he whispered to her. Sakura only nodded, looking lost and dejected.

It was then that Naruto realized his growing feelings for the girl beside him. Because when you start to like a someone, their emotions become part of yours too. That was how Naruto felt as he studied the red rims around Sakura's eyes and her unsmiling lips, like his heart was breaking with her also.


	5. Number

5. Number

Monday morning, Naruto's head was spinning after spending the entire Sunday thinking about his newfound feelings for Sakura. He realized he had never felt that way about a girl before, especially in middle school when he was busy fighting, pulling pranks, or getting into all sorts of trouble when his peers were just starting to date. There simply hadn't been a girl he felt drawn towards until now.

He awoke at five in the morning, two hours before school, and could not go back to sleep no matter how hard he tried. Feeling like he should pass the time by doing something other than stare at the ceiling, Naruto stumbled out of bed in the dim morning light and made his way into the kitchen. Passing through the hallway, he noticed a pair of muddy shoes next to a suitcase sitting on the front door mat.

'_Tch__… __Looks like_ the perv_ is home._'

Half an hour later, Naruto arrived at Konoha High's soccer field dressed in his green soccer jersey, shorts, and cleats, holding a soccer ball in hand. It took him a few seconds to notice that he wasn't alone.

Someone, rather a dark-haired someone, dressed in the same uniform was currently jogging down the middle of the field, while kicking a soccer ball toward the goalposts.

Naruto's eyes narrowed. In a swift motion, he kicked his own soccer ball toward the captain's. He grinned when he saw that the ball had intercepted it, knocking it off course and into the sidelines. Sasuke stopped running and turned sharply.

"What are you doing here?" he asked, a hint of venom in his words.

"To practice, gotta keep my awesome aiming skills in shape you know." Naruto grinned at him while settling onto the field to start a series of warm-up stretches.

Sasuke didn't say anything, merely kicking the soccer ball back towards the blond boy's feet.

"I hope you don't mind me sharing the field with you this morning. I thought I was going to be alone," Naruto said after more silence from the captain.

"Hn… Whatever." Sasuke went back to kicking after the soccer ball.

"Hey, Sasuke, why weren't you at my party on Saturday?"

Sasuke stopped and glared at him. "My car broke, I couldn't get a ride."

Naruto was unbothered by Sasuke's coldness. He knew the captain still did not accept him being on the team, and heck he probably held the biggest grudge for the embarrassment at tryouts. But Naruto didn't care. He wasn't the type to worry deeply about what others thought of him. He just wanted a better explanation from Sasuke himself so he could explain Sakura later.

"That's not a good excuse," Naruto replied. "We were all waiting for you, and you could have just called and asked us for a ride."

"Whatever, dobe. Why did you want me at your party anyway?"

"It wasn't just a party for me; it was for the team to bond! And Sakura-chan worked so hard to prepare everything and—" Naruto stopped, realizing he had said too much without thinking. Hoping Sasuke wouldn't catch on, he quickly kicked the ball towards the captain to distract him. "Here, let's practice passing the ball."

But the captain's eyes were narrowed, Sasuke's curiosity obviously piqued. "Sakura-chan? Your pink-haired girlfriend?"

"She's just a friend."

A dark eyebrow rose. "And what does she have to do with a party for the soccer team?"

"Nothing," Naruto replied a little too quickly, before realizing that Sasuke would never believe him, he decided there was no harm in explaining. "I mean, I asked her to help me prepare for the party, and she was so excited about it because she thought you were going to be there. She wanted to meet you, you know, 'cause you are the famous captain and all. But she was so disappointed when you didn't show up."

"Is that right?" Sasuke's dark eyes scrutinized Naruto's face, making him a little uncomfortable. "You like her a lot then?"

"Ah- What? No!" Naruto denied. "I mean, not in that way. I like her only as a friend, okay! Just pass me the stupid ball."

Sasuke didn't look too convinced, but passed the ball back to him anyway. The whole time his eyes were focused on Naruto's face so intensely that Naruto felt his face beginning to heat up.

And just like that the subject was dropped, much to Naruto's relief. The two boys went on to practice quietly for the rest of the morning, running up and down the field, talking turns at the goal. But Naruto couldn't help but feel a little uneasy about telling Sasuke of Sakura's presence at the party. It didn't make him feel any better seeing the smug expression on Sasuke's face either, his eyes glinting in the morning sunlight as if he were keeping some ugly secret.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o 0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

'_Sasuke didn't bother to come.' _

It was this depressing thought that kept Sakura miserable the whole Sunday after the party. And on top of that, thinking about how she had dragged Naruto into throwing a big party only to have to most important person missing didn't help either. No matter how much Naruto had insisted he didn't mind doing so and there was more good done than harm and how the whole team really had fun, she still felt guilty.

Dragging her feet home after school on Monday, Sakura passed through a neat row of shops next to the shopping centre in front of her school. Out of nowhere, her eyes zeroed in on a 'Help Wanted' sign taped onto the window of a cute little shop named Dream Tea House. The line of words at the bottom of the sign read: '_Looking for part-time workers, students welcome to apply.'_

She had been in that tea house a few times with Ino, Hinata, and Tenten back in their middle school days. Of course, that was when she and Ino had still gotten along, before they made their bet.

Sakura peeked in through the window. Inside, the tea house bore rich decorations and furniture. The ceiling was painted a light blue to emulate the sky; the walls teal, like the ocean. Miniature palm trees were placed in the four corners of the shop. Blooming pastel flowers delicately aligned the edges of the front counter. It was like being in a tropical dream, just as she remembered it.

Sakura hesitated with her hand on the door handle. It had never occurred to her that she wanted a job. Tsunade had always provided her with more than enough allowance each month to meet her spending needs. She could buy anything she wanted, provided they were reasonably priced.

Yet she felt so compelled to go in.

A distraction, that's what she badly needed right now. And a job would be the perfect distraction. With so much going on in her life right now—her friendships breaking apart, her failure with Sasuke, and Tsunade's strict rules—spending a few hours each week inside the tea house suddenly sounds so comforting.

Without another thought, Sakura pulled opened the door.

She came out half an hour later with a big smile on her face.

The owner had taken one good look at her and remarked she had the image of the perfectly sweet 'bubble tea girl.' And it didn't take long for her to convince them of her qualifications. She found herself filling out an application and receiving a work schedule, with her first shift on Friday afternoon of this week..

'_Now all that remains is to convince Tsunade.'_

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o 0o0o0o0o0o0o0o00o0

"A job?"

"Yes ma'am, at the Dream Tea House near school."

Sakura looked up at her guardian to see her reaction. It was shortly after Tsunade had gotten off her shift at the hospital, still in uniform with her hair tied up in a bun. They were eating supper at the kitchen table.

"But why, Sakura? Don't I give you enough allowance? If you need more all you have to do is ask." The expression on her guardian's face looked troubled as she took a sip from her sake bottle.

"It's not that. You give me more than enough money already. I just want to try working for the experience."

Tsunade chewed silently on her food as if trying to digest this piece of news. Sakura looked straight at her guardian, determined to get her approval.

"It's not a big deal, and it's totally safe if that's what you're worried about. Besides, a lot of my classmates have been working since middle school."

"I know, hon. But what about school? Will you have time to do homework?"

"Of course. It's only two five-hour shifts a week. I'll manage."

Tsunade swallowed, the expression on her face unreadable. After a short silence, she finally replied, "Well, I don't see why not."

Sakura stayed still for a second, she had been so sure her guardian would say no. When the words finally sank in, she stood up and engulfed her guardian in a hug.

"Thank you so much!"

She supposed Tsunade has finally realized she was grown-up now and didn't need to be coddled like a fragile child anymore. And she had been extra tolerant with her lately, even letting her go to Naruto's house for that party (which she had planned to sneak out to go to anyway if Tsunade refused).

"Beware though," Tsunade warned, taking another sip out of the sake bottle and waving a finger at Sakura. "If you let your grades drop, I'm going to the tea house to quit that job for you."

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o 0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0

The bell jingled, alerting Sakura to look up from the math worksheet she had been absorbed in.

It was another Friday evening, an unusually quiet one for the Dream Tea House. Sakura had been working as a tea girl for almost three weeks now, and she had finally gained the confidence of the store owner to allow her to man the front of the shop all by herself. She enjoyed doing so, especially on quiet nights like this one when she was free to do anything she wanted while waiting for customers to come, provided everything in the shop was cleaned first of course.

A group had entered the shop. There were four of them, three guys and one girl. Sakura couldn't see their faces clearly from behind the counter, as the the light in the shop had been dimmed to achieve a romantic mood. But judging by their tone of voice there was no doubt they were arguing with each other.

"Ultra Lounge my ass," a white-haired boy whined. "I got permanently banned from there after getting into a fight with the DJ."

"Sneak in then. There's no alternative and Ultra Lounge has the best girls," the boy next to him replied.

"Look guys, can't we just go somewhere else—"

"Shut up, Suigetsu," said another voice that sounded vaguely familiar to Sakura. A voice that made the hair on her neck stand up in delight, as she her heart pulsed with excitement.

"Yeah, Sasuke-kun's right. Just shut up and go order our teas. I didn't drag ya here for nothin', boys."

So it was him. Sasuke was here. Her stomach clenched and her heart beat madly as she fought to breathe. Oh god. He was here! Yet what was he doing here at this hour and in the company of these strange people?

Sakura started when the boy named Suigetsu had marched up to her at the counter.

"Yo tea girl, give us four cups of your daily special," he demanded.

Sakura almost squeaked. The tone of his voice scared her. But she calmed herself and nodded before turning around to make his order.

As she hurried about her work, Suigetsu joined the group which had settled at the table next to the door. Several times, as Sakura scurried around gathering the ingredients, she came close enough to the till to peek at the group, trying to see Sasuke's face among them.

But it was no use. The store's light was too dim and the table too far away for her to see their faces clearly.

"Hurry up, tea girl!" growled an impatient Suigetsu, loud and scary enough to startle Sakura. She dropped the half-finished tea she had been working on. It splashed onto the floor like a waterfall. Luckily, she was quick to dodge the mess. However, when she glanced up, she found Suigetsu leaning over the counter. He did not look happy.

"Oh my gosh! I am so sorry!" Sakura inwardly cursed her voice for sounding squeaky. "I'll make you another one!"

"You better, stupid girl. We don't have all night."

Sakura grew angry. How dare that jerk call her names like that! But she was too afraid to defend herself. Plus, he was the customer, she thought, and customers were 'always' right. Or at least that's what she was taught.

"Hey, Suigetsu, are you scaring the tea girl?"

Sakura looked up as she put the tapioca in their teas for the second time. Her heart skipped a beat at the sound of Sasuke's voice.

"I was not. I was only encouraging her to work faster," Suigetsu replied.

"Dumbass," spat the redhead from their table. "You freaked her out so much that she had to make them again."

Sasuke found himself staring at the tea girl. She had skinny arms, pale skin, and light bubblegum-pink hair which he had noticed the moment he entered the shop. The girl was unmistakeably the Sakura-chan Naruto spoke so fondly of. He never thought he'd find her working here as a tea girl. She didn't look like one of those kids who came from a lower income family.

But whether she was poor or not, Sasuke didn't really care. What he knew for a fact was how she was always there sitting in the stands at every practice and game, always cheering them on. (Yes, he did notice these things, but he never showed it.) She was also one of his annoying fan girls he had never bothered to pay attention to...until now. He admitted that she was actually quite pretty with a little heart-shaped face and bright jade eyes. He got why that dumb moron Naruto liked her so much. Sasuke smirked; this would be an excellent opportunity.

Sakura handed Suigetsu their drinks, trying hard to stop her hands from shaking out of fear and excitement.

"That'll be fifteen-twenty," she said to him as he took out his wallet to pay. Behind Suigetsu stood Sasuke, staring at her with such an intense gaze that her face grew warm.

_'Did he recognize me?'_

She had bumped into him once in the hallway after all. She realized it was a chance to tell him her feelings, yet she couldn't bring herself to. Not in front of her her bully.

"Go first. I'll be out in a sec," Sakura heard Sasuke say to his friends as they exited the shop together with their drinks. Figuring he was probably getting extra napkins or something, she turned back to the spilled tea on the floor. She was getting ready to mop it up when Sasuke's voice sounded once again from behind the counter.

"Hey, tea girl, give me your number."

"Huh?" Sakura looked up and found herself face-to-face with the gorgeous boy. Had her hearing gone so bad that she mixed up 'some napkins' with 'your number'? Or maybe she had gone delusional.

"I said you're cute, give me your number," he demanded coolly.

"Oh." Sakura felt herself go red as she accepted the iPhone Sasuke dug out of his pocket and thrust into her hands. She had heard right, she thought as she typed her name and phone number. He was asking for her number!

"Excellent." Sasuke offered a small smile as he accepted his phone back, glancing down at the mess before redirecting his attention on her. "Sakura, is it? You're single?"

"Yes…" She nodded, hardly able to speak. "Yes I am."

"Perfect. I'll be calling you then." He graced her with another half-smile as he exited the shop.

As soon as the door closed behind him, Sakura allowed herself to hyperventilate.

Oh gosh! The Sasuke-kun of her dreams had just asked for her phone number! He was interested. They might soon be going out!


	6. Official

_Yay! I'm finally updating. Though you probably think I'm a lousy author for delaying. And you're right, I am. Sorry for making you guys wait. But I hope the content in this chapter was worth the wait._

* * *

><p>6. Official<p>

Sakura closed her eyes and leaned back against the supporting column of the slide, feeling the warmth of the November sun. It was a nice feeling, she decided, the way the heat wasn't too strong like during the summer time, but just warm enough to sustain her body temperature, like sitting next to a fireplace at Christmas time. She sank her feet into the cool sand and felt the particles slipping in between her toes. Sakura smiled, her glossy pink lips curling up at the corners. The world had never looked and felt more beautiful.

"What's with you forehead? You're grinning like an idiot."

Sakura opened her eyes. A few meters away, Ino was trudging towards her dressed in a brown bomber jacket, black skinny jeans, and heeled boots that noisily crushed the fallen autumn leaves with each step. She stopped at the edge of the playground, the toes of her boots leaning dangerously close to the sand. Ino looked tentatively at the sea of sand, a frown spreading across her perfectly made-up face.

"It's just sand, Ino. We used to roll around in it all day, remember?"

Ino made a face. "Please, think of all the germs those elementary schoolers carry and spread with their sweaty feet going all over the sand." She rolled her eyes. "Gross."

Sakura giggled. Had she been in a bad mood, she would have spent hours arguing with Ino over the general cleanness of the playground. But she was in a very good mood today and found Ino's attitude rather humorous and endearing. It almost made her wish they could go back to the old days of their friendship, instead of the cold battles they were carrying on right now. Still smiling, Sakura picked up her sandals from the edge of the playground and approached Ino, who was staring at her face.

"What?"

"You're still grinning like an idiot."

Sakura sat on the bench next to the playground and slowly put on her sandals. "I can't help it. The world... it's just so beautiful!"

Before Ino could reply, a third voice sounded from across the playground. "It's obvious isn't it? Our Sakura's in love."

Startled, Sakura turned around to find two more girls making their way towards them.

"Tenten! Hinata! I'm so glad you guys made it here!" Sakura quickly ran over to her other two friends and engulfed them in a tight hug.

"Easy Sakura, I can't breathe!" Tenten gasped loudly for air, and gently pushed a fervent Sakura back.

Sakura grinned at her, entirely oblivious to the life-threatening situation she had just caused. Behind her, Ino, the last of the group, closed in on them.

"Tenten and Hinata? Did Sakura make you come over here too?"

"Yes," Hinata replied, "Sakura called me five times in a row until I picked up. I was in the shower at the time, but I figured it must be a real emergency if the caller refused to leave me a message."

"Sakura, did you really do that?" Tenten playfully slapped her friend on the back. "That's not like you. So what's the big emergency?"

"Yeah. Who is the boy, forehead?" Ino demanded, "Better be someone so worthwhile that you've made us come all the way here to listen to you boast."

The smile on Sakura's face transformed into a mischievous grin. "Guess."

"Is it Lee-kun?" Hinata asked.

Sakura laughed, "No way! You can do better than that, Hinata."

"Naruto then," Tenten guessed. "It must be, you've been spending so much time with him lately."

Sakura shook her head. "Nah, Naruto's only a friend."

"Well, just tell us his name then, we don't have all day!" Ino exclaimed impatiently.

Sakura smirked at Ino. "It's easy. He has spiked black hair, dark eyes, plays soccer, and his name starts with the letter S."

Tenten's jaw dropped. "No way. No freaking way."

Ino was looking at Sakura with eyes as wide as marbles. "Is this a joke Sakura? It's not funny."

Sakura shook her head. "It's not, Pig. Why would I waste the time to come here and lie to you?"

"But... but, Sasuke-kun would never -," Ino's voice grew weaker under Sakura's serious stare, "- never date someone like you."

"Well, apparently he would," Sakura replied coldly. "If you don't believe me, I guess you'll have to wait and see for yourself on Monday."

The four friends sat in silence. Sakura grinned triumphantly as she watched her girl friends digest this piece of news, disbelief written all over their faces. A part of her felt a little hurt that they couldn't be happy for her, but another part of her knew this was coming. It was Sasuke Uchiha they were talking about, the Mr. Popular of Konoha High, who always went for the older girls and would never in a million years (or so they thought) go out with a fangirl, like Sakura or Ino.

"Well congrats, Sakura. We're happy for you, and you should be happy for her too, Ino," Tenten said a little awkwardly, breaking the silence.

Ino made a face. "Yeah, I guess you won this one, Forehead. But this isn't over."

"I'm curious, how did this happen, Sakura?" Tenten asked.

Sakura looked around at her friends. They all looked back at her with curious faces, with Ino trying to mask hers beneath a scowl.

"It was kind of lucky actually," Sakura began, and she told them about getting the job at the Dream Tea House, and meeting Sasuke there during her shift one night. "The day after I gave him my phone number, he called me and asked me out on a date. We went out for dinner yesterday and he took me to this fancy restaurant. Afterwards, he held my hand and asked me to be his girlfriend."

"D-did you say yes?" Hinata asked.

"Of course I did, Hinata. I've been in love with him for as long as I could remember." Sakura sighed and smiled dreamily into the distance.

"Well, Ino, looks like you lost this one," Tenten said, interrupting Sakura from her daydream.

"Oh yeah, how could I forget? I called all of you here to talk about your punishment, Ino-pig!" Sakura snapped back into reality and turned to her former best friend.

Ino gaped at her. "You're not serious, Forehead. Isn't watching you be with him a painful enough punishment? I'll be reminded of my failure every time I see you guys together."

Sakura gave her a don't-mess-with-me look. "A promise is a promise my dear." She feigned in a sweet voice. "Don't forget the time you made me cut my long hair because I lost that race against you in elementary school."

"But that was different," Ino retorted. "Hair can always grow back. Besides, you found out you looked better with short hair anyway, so you should thank me."

"Fine then, thank you for making me cut my hair," Sakura replied sarcastically, becoming annoyed. "Maybe this round you can find out that you actually like Sasuke and me as a couple and realize you're not suited for him. And no, you don't have to thank me. I just want to remind you that cutting my hair was a huge deal to me back then. But I did it anyway to keep my promise."

"Just quit arguing, Ino, you're not getting out of this one," Tenten cut in before Ino could utter another word.

Ino opened her mouth. Sakura thought she was going to argue some more and was preparing a smart retort when Ino shut her mouth again, making a noise that sounded like a deflated balloon.

"Wait, I-I'm a little lost," Hinata said. "What was the agreed punishment again?"

"Loser has to ask Rock Lee out and get him to say yes to one date," Tenten answered.

"Oh my!" Hinata exclaimed, her eyes wide.

"Yes, outrageous isn't it? My social life will be ruined." Ino rolled her eyes.

"Come on, Pig, Lee isn't that bad. He's a nice guy, just a little bit odd that's all."

"A little odd? Who are you kidding? He's a complete weirdo. Why do you think I suggested Lee as the punishment?"

"'Course I know." Sakura laughed. She knew the exact reason why Ino suggested Lee, because Ino was confident that she would win and would get to watch Sakura suffer under Rock Lee's constant affections. And that smug assumption at the beginning alone was enough to make Sakura feel determined to win Sasuke first.

"Well, I guess I'm stuck." Ino sighed in defeat.

Sakura smiled at her friend. "No hard feelings then?"

Ino shook her head. "Nah, I did promise you. And I can get back at you another time."

As the four friends parted ways for home, Sakura couldn't help but smile even more as she thought about all the good things that happened to her lately. Things like getting a job, seeing her best friends, and the best part of all, having the gorgeous Sasuke Uchiha as her boyfriend. She couldn't wait to go back to school on Monday and see him. And then there was Ino's punishment to look forward to, which would, no doubt, be hilarious.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

At eight o'clock the following morning, Sakura sat on her front doorstep with her school bag in her lap, waiting. It was a good thing Tsunade went to work very early in the mornings, Sakura thought, so she wouldn't have to answer her guardian's questions about why she wasn't heading off to school by now.

Five minutes later, a black BMW with tinted windows pulled up into her driveway. Sasuke Uchiha rolled down the driver's windows to reveal his face. "Come on, let's go." He motioned for her to come as an excited Sakura ran up to his car and let herself into the passenger's seat. Sasuke had promised to drive her to school today. That way, they can arrive and enter the school together, publicly announcing the status of their new relationship.

Sasuke's car was exceptionally clean. Sakura noticed a light scent of Febreeze lingering all around, as if someone had taken care to clean the interior as recently as this morning. "Your air freshener smells very good," Sakura said a little awkwardly in an attempt to break the silence, which they had fallen into as soon as Sasuke had pulled his car back onto the main road.

Sasuke kept his eyes on the road. "Hmm," he murmured with a nod and continued to drive.

"So... um, which one did you use? I want the same one for my house." Sakura pressed on, urging him to say more.

"No idea, you have to ask my cleaner." Sasuke spared her a cold glance before returning his attention to the road, clearly uninterested.

"Oh, okay."

Sakura shrank back into her seat, deciding to keep quiet for the rest of the ride. Maybe Sasuke doesn't like it when people talk to him while he is driving, she thought, or maybe he's just not a morning person in general. But no matter which, Sakura did not want Sasuke to get mad at her so early on in their relationship. Still, she had to admit that they were a little awkward together at times since Sasuke was always so quiet, even when she attempted to make conversation with him. But Sakura decided a quiet Sasuke was better than an angry Sasuke. Besides, it took some time to get used to a relationship, and they had only been official for two days. Maybe Sasuke was the type that only started talking to someone after they had spent enough time together.

Sasuke pulled his car into the parking lot of their school and effortlessly parked it beside a large SUV. When the ignition was turned off, Sakura was the first to get out, and she stood waiting for Sasuke in the empty parking space next to his car.

Inside the vehicle, Sasuke slowly gathered his books, which were strewn all over the back seat. When he finally came out and locked the doors, he opened the trunk to reveal a backpack, which he stuffed his books into and then carelessly slung across one shoulder.

"Here." He approached Sakura with his right hand held out.

At first, Sakura was a little confused as she thought Sasuke had wanted to shake her hand. But Sasuke, seeing that she had not moved a muscle, added, "Give me your hand."

"Oh." Sakura felt her face heat up a little, but obeyed Sasuke all the same. They had never held hands before, (the one time at the restaurant was too brief and therefore didn't count), especially not when they were walking next to each other. But today, they were doing it for the first time and publicly before their whole school.

Sasuke's hand was cold, and his grip was tight. He also walked a little too fast for Sakura that she had to run a little to keep up. But nevertheless, Sakura felt happy, happier than she had been all her life. She was holding hands with Sasuke Uchiha and they were about to enter the school building full of their peers. In a few hours, the news of their relationship would travel all across their school. And people would look at her in awe and wonder how she got the Uchiha boy to date her. It was a dream come true.

As soon as they entered through the doors, Sakura was greeted by the voices of several screaming girls, all yelling out Sasuke's name.

"Sasuke-kun! Good morning!" A short brown-haired girl whom Sakura recognized as one of Sasuke's fan girls (and therefore her rival) shrieked.

"Sasuke-kun," purred another fan girl, "you are a little late today, we were getting worried waiting for you. Did you have a bad morning?"

"Sasuke-kun, drink this!" Another fan girl pushed a bottle of chocolate milk in front of his face. "It'll make you feel better if you've had a rough morning."

Sasuke pushed the bottle of milk away and ignored the comments. He tugged at Sakura's hand, making her come forward from the crowd of fan girls who had engulfed her at the sight of Sasuke.

"Make room for us," he said simply and continued walking down the hallway holding Sakura's hand.

"Oh my god! It's that pink-haired girl!" Sakura heard the short fangirl shriek behind her back.

"I remember her, she used to be one of us! Why is she holding Sasuke's hand?" said another.

"I don't know. Maybe they are together? I saw her come out of his car back in the parking lot."

Sakura grinned at these words and ran a little more to keep up with Sasuke.

"Annoying aren't they?" Sasuke said as they approached his locker and let go of Sakura's hand. "They're okay when I get a girlfriend though, but they're crazy when I'm single, thinking that they have a chance."

"Do they?" Sakura said half-heartedly, feeling a little guilty as she used to be part of his fan girl group.

"But," Sasuke smirked at her, "I guess they won't be crazy anymore, because I'm no longer single."

He finished unloading his books into his locker and slung his backpack back onto one shoulder before taking Sakura's hand again. "Come on, I'll walk you to class. What do you have first?"

"Oh, I have chem, but you really don't have to, Sasuke-kun, you're going to be late."

Sasuke ignored her words and walked her to Kakashi's class anyway.

"So, soccer game tonight, you're coming, right?" Sasuke asked her as they stopped at the door of her classroom.

"Oh yes, of course! I always watch your games, Sasuke-kun."

"Excellent, I'll tell them to reserve the front centre seat. My treat." He winked at her before walking away, leaving behind an embarrassed but giddy Sakura.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

The news of Sasuke and Sakura's relationship quickly spread like wildfire around the school. By lunch time, almost the entire student population knew. Girls who were previously gossiping about the latest celebrity news were now talking about Sasuke's new girlfriend.

As for Naruto, he had slept in that morning and missed first block, so he did not see Sakura enter chemistry class hand-in-hand with Sasuke. He only heard about this latest development during second block from Kiba. At first he found it a little hard to believe until he spotted the very couple walking down the school hallway holding hands during lunch break. Afterwards, he couldn't get the image of the couple out of his head, and it made his stomach feel queasy.

By third block, Naruto had decided to suppress any bad feelings and just be happy for Sakura, as she had gotten her wish granted at last. Besides, he still had that big soccer match after school to worry about. It was the match that would determine whether the Konoha Leafs would advance to the city finals. To say Naruto cared about the outcome of the match would be an understatement. He cared deeply, with all his heart. It was funny though, as now all Naruto wanted to do was to invest his energy into the sport to distract himself. Yet the very sport was what had given him these Sakura problems he couldn't stop worrying about.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

Five o'clock the same afternoon, Naruto arrived at the soccer field where the game being held. Most of his teammates had already arrived and were warming up by jogging around the field. Without hesitation, Naruto ran up to join them, and he surveyed the spectator stands as he jogged, looking for a pink-haired somebody.

Sure enough, Sakura was already seated in the front and centre spot where usually the early spectators flocked to. She was wearing a very pretty green dress that made her hair stand out. And today, the seat next to her was taken up by the soccer captain, who had already changed into his uniform and was saying something to Sakura that made her laugh. Sakura looked cute when she laughed, Naruto realized, the way her hand went up to cover her mouth as if she were embarrassed for laughing too loud . But the fact that it was Sasuke who was making her laugh made Naruto's stomach churn. He decided to stop looking their way for a while.

Oto High's soccer team arrived a little later. They had brought their own band of spectators to cheer them on, and they were all packed into the right side of the stand dressed entirely in orange and red, the colours of their school. Naruto saw a few cocky Oto team members flex their arm muscles dramatically as part of their warm-up routine in an attempt to impress the Oto girls watching. He snickered and decided there was no way he was going to let his team lose to these idiots.

At half-past five, the referees had arrived and the stands were completely filled, with people spilling out into the isles and onto the grassy grounds below. Chants occasionally erupted with students enthusiastically rooting for their favourite teams. It was like any average soccer game, with the added bonus of more spectators and more noise.

As for Sasuke, Naruto was happy to note that he had left Sakura to join their team as they did their pre-game pep talks in a huddle.

Ten minutes later, the game had started and Naruto found himself running down the field towards Oto's goal with the soccer ball flying in front of him. The crowd was going crazy, and he was determined to score. Two Oto players had tried to intercept the ball from behind, but he dodged them easily. He was determined to score - to show everyone watching that he was capable - and he wasn't just the delinquent they frequently heard about in school gossip.

The Oto goalie was a large guy with spiked hair who snarled at Naruto as he approached. But Naruto remained undeterred, a certain familiar face in the stands helping him to concentrate on his path. He noticed the goalie had a bandaged right arm which he had probably injured during practice. So he aimed, without hesitation, towards the corner of the goal closest to that arm, hoping the goalie's injury would give him a slight advantage. And just like that, he kicked, and the ball flew straight through the very corner of the goal and into the net, causing the crowd to erupt in cheers.

Naruto beamed and waved at the crowd. He was too far away to see Sakura's face but he knew she must be looking, applauding him on. After all, she was the first person who had discovered his knack for scoring goals, the person who had introduced him to the sport of soccer, which he now loved.

As the game went on, the Konoha team scored two more goals (one was scored again by Naruto), and Oto matched the goals with two of their own. When the second half started, the Konoha Leafs was leading the Oto team three to two.

Naruto found himself in the sidelines near the end of the last half. An Oto player had tripped him at the end of the third quarter, giving him a badly bruised ankle. The moronic referee had deemed it an accident. But Naruto thought it odd that two Oto players had showed up close to him and "accidentally" stuck their foot out on either side of him when he wasn't even in possession of the soccer ball. Their official excuse had been that they were just being on the defensive when Naruto had tried to get away from them. Naruto believed otherwise, though there was nothing he could do about it.

It was now the most crucial part of the game. If Naruto's teammates could prevent the Oto players from scoring again, Konoha would win. Even from the sidelines, Naruto could feel the tension between the players in the field. His own team captain had a look of intense concentration upon his face as he stood rigidly guarding their net.

Finally, just thirty seconds before the end of the game, an Oto forward made a rushed attempt to score. As the ball flew towards Sasuke, the Oto fans went wild. Those for Konoha remained frozen with bated breath.

For a moment it looked like the ball would sail over Sasuke's head and fly right into the net. But suddenly he stretched his arms above him, just barely deflecting the ball so that it flew back into the field. As the ball sank back onto the ground, the referee blew his whistle to signal the end of the match. It was Konoha's victory.

Immediately, cheers erupted throughout the home stands, and Naruto found himself standing amongst his teammates as they hollered and danced around in joy. Amid the chaos, Naruto saw Sakura leave her place in the stands to run to Sasuke, throwing her arms around his neck in a hug. His stomach churned again as he watched Sasuke possessively encircle his arms around Sakura's waist. As they embraced, the captain raised his eyes to meet Naruto's, and for a second, Naruto thought he saw a smirk curling up at the corners of Sasuke's mouth. Or had it been a trick of the light?

When Sakura finally pulled back, Sasuke leaned his face next to her ear and whispered something. Then, as Sasuke was pulling away, he suddenly leaned in again to press his lips against Sakura's.

Naruto could tell Sasuke had taken Sakura by surprise as he watched her eyes grow big in shock at first before closing them to kiss Sasuke back. All around, claps and whistles sounded as the entire Konoha High population and some Oto students turned their attention to the couple. Naruto suddenly felt a sharp pain run through his hand and realized he had subconsciously dug his nails into his palm. Swiftly, he unclenched his fingers and rubbed the red marks in his palm in an attempt to soothe the pain.

"I can't believe that guy!" Kiba exclaimed as the team cleaned up in the change rooms after the game.

"Yeah, what was Sasuke playing at? Kissing my cherry blossom in front of the entire school." Lee scrunched up his face in agony and howled. "Sakura-chan... why? Oh, why!?"

"Quit that, you retard." Naruto angrily slapped Lee in the back, causing the boy's face to slam hard onto the floor.

"Whoa, Naruto. Just chill, man!" Kiba came over and pulled a crying Lee up.

"Yeah, Naruto, are you okay, bro?" Shikamaru came out from the shower wrapped up in a towel and sat down next to Naruto.

"Huh? Me? 'Course I'm okay."

But Shikamaru and Kiba was giving him the look that said, 'don't lie'.

"Well, I mean, if this is about Sakura-chan -"

"He stole her from you, aren't you angry?" Kiba cut in.

"Stole her from me? Sakura-chan's not property, and she was never mine."

"She was as good as yours." Neji came over and joined in.

"Neji! Wha-?"

"Yeah, don't even deny it." Kiba continued, "We could all tell how much you liked her, and no doubt Sasuke could too."

"It... It was that obvious?" Naruto felt stupid. How could he show his emotions to the entire world without realizing it himself? After all, he had only figured out his feelings for Sakura only recently, but how long had they known?

"If I were you I'd keep an eye out for Sakura," Shikamaru said to him, pulling on his t-shirt. "Sasuke did not get a play boy reputation from doing nothing. He earned it, from the girls."

"Exactly," Neji added knowingly. "And I've heard he's not afraid to do what he wants, and he almost always gets away with it."

"Noo!" Lee sobbed, "Sasuke! I'm going to the captain's changeroom to kill him!"

"Be quiet!" Kiba knocked Lee's head back against the floor, causing the poor boy to cry out in pain once more.

Naruto felt the sickening feeling in his stomach again as he slowly redressed. He knew he was part of the reason why Sasuke took a sudden interest in Sakura. And he regretted ever saying yes to Sakura's request. Her plan had worked, though not the way she had planned. But Sakura's wish to become Sasuke's girlfriend had come true at last.

* * *

><p><em>In case you're wondering, this story is NaruSaku. It has always been, and will always be. Just give it a little time. <em>

_Once again, thank you to Cion__ who made this chapter so polished and appealing. _

_Thank you to Naruto The Lover, Narusaku gonna happen, Misaki334, Prithi666, who kept asking me to update. Your constant reminders worked. _

_And most importantly, what did you guys think of this chapter? Loved it? Hated it? I'd love to hear your opinions. Tell me what I should work on if you spot any mistakes. _

_I honestly don't know when I will update again. College is starting in two weeks, and I'm also working part-time. But maybe if you nag often enough... I just might, sooner than you think. ;)_


	7. Rules

_I had a bad case of writer's block. And then life got in the way._

_I hope you will enjoy reading this chapter as much as I enjoyed writing it. _

* * *

><p>7. Rules<p>

'What a great feeling,' thought Sakura as she slipped into her gym shorts, 'to be Sasuke's girlfriend.' She felt like the queen of the school where Sasuke was king. The two of them sat on high thrones above the rest of the student population, who followed closely their every move, like paparazzi chasing celebrities down the red carpet.

Her imagination was running off again. She scolded her brain, and she'd better change fast, because P.E. was starting soon and most of the girls had already left the change room.

After tying tight the laces of her running shoes, Sakura stepped out of the change room. P.E. class was coed, where the girls played alongside the guys. Today that had a special meaning, because Sasuke is in her class, and they didn't have many classes together. This will be their first P.E. class as an official couple.

Not that Sasuke would care, of course. But Sakura still felt a surge of excitement overwhelming her whole body as she entered the gym.

Most of the students had already spread themselves out around the gym, and were in various stages of warmup stretches. Sasuke was nowhere in sight.

"What are you wearing?" A voice said from behind her.

Startled, Sakura turned around to find a gorgeous face complete with the trademark dark hair. Her boyfriend had come up from behind her, and was looking at her expectantly, waiting for the answer to his question.

Sakura looked down. She had on her usual stretchy gym tee shirt and shorts. The shirt was quite loose on her small frame, but the shorts… they were tight and barely reached her mid-thigh. Maybe that was a problem? But they were the same running shorts many of the girls wore in P.E. So she decided to play dumb. "Um, my gym clothes?"

Sasuke had a frown on his face. "You're showing too much."

"But it's gym class, Sasuke-kun. Many other girls wear these shorts too."

"They are not my girlfriend. And I don't like it when you show too much skin. Go find something else."

Sakura felt a little intimidated by Sasuke's strict tone. But she thought he was being a little unreasonable. They were just shorts after all. Girls wore them all the time. Plus, it was the only change of clothing she had. So she told Sasuke.

"I don't care. Borrow another." Black eyes met green ones and stared until the greens broke away first.

Their teachers were going to arrive at any time now. There simply wasn't enough time for her to change again, or she would be sent in for detention. She didn't want that. She already had several from the past month for being late. A few more and a notice would be sent to her guardian. She can't have Tsunade know.

"But Sasuke-kun, there's not enough time. I'm going to get a detention." Sakura murmured, avoiding his intense gaze.

"Sakura, change now or we are over."

Sakura gasped. "Please. Let's stay together Sasuke-kun. I'll change."

With that, Sakura went back into the change rooms to look for a pair of long pants. While mentally, she calculated just how many more lates she is allowed before Tsunade is notified.

To her horror. She only had one more.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

"Will you eat with me at lunch today?" Sakura smiled up at her boyfriend. They were holding hands, walking through the parking lot toward the school's doors.

Needless to say, Sasuke had picked Sakura up from her house as he had done for the past few weeks, and they were now going to enter the school together to flaunt their couple-status.

Sakura, for her part, had gotten used to these quiet morning rides to school. But it was the walk through the parking lot that she looked forward to the most. Because that was when Sasuke would hold her hand, grip them tight, more like. And they would walk together without the disturbance of the female student population, who would chase and fawn over them the moment they step in through the doors.

Sasuke did not look at her. Instead, his gaze remained far away as he replied. "Huh? Oh, lunch. Not today."

"But you don't have soccer practice at lunch today, Sasuke-kun."

"I have other plans, babe." He said it so casually, his eyes never looking at her face.

'Sasuke-kun looks distracted.' Sakura thought, feeling deflated. 'I wonder what's on his mind.'

When lunch came around, Sakura joined her girl friends at their usual table in the cafeteria.

"Nice of you to finally join us, Forehead." Ino greeted her as she sat down. She had a container of graham crackers and baby carrots laid out in front of her, and held a half-eaten carrot in her hand.

"Yeah. Not eating with Sasuke today?" Tenten asked, looking up from her lunch of sushi rolls.

"He's busy. So I'm stuck with you guys." Sakura pretended to frown.

"Hey! What's that suppose to mean!" Ino tossed the carrot in her hand at Sakura.

Sakura giggled, bending to dodge the carrot. "Oh Ino, you know I love you guys."

For a while, it felt like the old times again, as the four friends giggled and chatted, catching up on the latest gossip.

"So, what is it like being with Sasuke?" Tenten asked. After they had exhausted their conversation about the school's newest couple, a girl by the name of Lena who is now going out with James, from the basketball team.

"Oh, it has it's perks. I get recognized a lot in the halls, and they make room for me when I walk past."

"Right. You're Queen Sakura now, Your Royal Highness." Ino's voice was thick with sarcasm, laced with a hint of acid. Sakura did not miss the slight acidity in her tone. She realized she had been a little too careless, too insensitive.

"It's not all perks, Ino. I have to deal with his fangirls. Once they tried to trip me while I was walking down the hall by myself."

"They are just jealous of you Sakura." Hinata assured her.

"Oh, I'm sure," Tenten agreed.

"So, is he a good kisser?" Ino's tone had lost all hints of acidity, only to become light and girly.

"Yeah, you have to share Sakura. We all saw that one at the game." Tenten added.

Even the shy Hinata was now looking at her expectantly, wearing the same curious expression Ino and Tenten both had on their faces. Sakura could feel her face heat up.

"He's pretty good, I suppose. Though I've never had anyone else to compare to." Sakura could see the smirks on her friends' faces grow bigger with each word. They were heading toward awkward waters. She decided to change the subject. "Enough about me. How are you doing on your punishment Ino?"

Her question was met with a blank stare from none other than the blonde herself.

"Don't tell me you've forgotten about it." Sakura pressed on.

"Oh, forehead. I didn't. I was hoping you'd forget."

"Ino!" Sakura was frustrated. "You have to honour your word. Have you at least tried to ask Lee out yet?"

"That's outrageous!" Ino shrieked. "He'll never agree to it. My reputation will be ruined! I'll be forever known as the girl who got rejected by Bushy Brows!"

"It does sound a little impossible, Sakura." Tenten said calmly. "We all know Lee's got the biggest crush on you. He won't say yes to anyone but you."

"Oh, you guys!" Sakura couldn't believe her friends were teaming up on her now. She wanted to see Ino endure her punishment, just as she had done years ago when she chopped off her long pink hair. "Fine then, Pig, I'll make you a deal. If I can persuade Lee to go on a date with you, you have to go. And you have to take a picture of the two of you together on the date as proof for me later."

When lunch break ended, and Sakura was walking to her first afternoon class, she realized she had a problem. How on earth was she suppose to get Lee to go on a date with Ino? Sure, she was Sakura, and Lee had the biggest crush on her. But would he go on a date with anyone simply because Sakura had asked him to? Sakura wasn't sure. All she knew was that she will need a little bit of help, preferably from someone of the male gender.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

Meanwhile, a few streets down from his school, Sasuke Uchiha had gone to lunch with a different crowd. None of which attended Konoha High.

They ate at an Italian restaurant, the authentic and expensive kind that only students with a background like Sasuke's could afford to dine at on a regular basis.

"Sasuke-kun." Karin whined as she slid onto the empty chair next to him, her voice high pitched and girly, "You HAVE to try this lime soda I ordered."

A glass cup, adorned with a slice of lime on the rim, was thrust in front of Sasuke's face. Sasuke, used to Karin's antics, knows she would only persist until he's given in. So he turns his face over to Karin's cup and takes a sip from the straw.

"Well?" Karin was looking at him intensely, a look of pure infatuation upon her face.

"Hn." He nodded. The drink was exceptionally good. But he would never tell her that.

Karin seemed to have heard his thoughts. She smiled at him before leaning over to place a kiss on his cheek.

Sasuke knows it was useless to protest, like he used to do when he was younger. Instead, he's grown to enjoy this kind of female attention, which poured in as his handsome looks matured. He turned over to face Karin, giving him one of his smirks that he had perfected in front of a mirror.

"Enough now, Karin." His friend Suigetsu started. He was in the seat opposite from Sasuke, and watched their exchange with an amused expression. "Sasuke is taken now, I'm sure he doesn't appreciate your advances."

Karin leaned away from Sasuke, but only slightly. "Is that true, Sasuke-kun?"

"Hn." Sasuke answered, giving a tiny nod of his head to indicate yes.

"No way!" Karin shrieked. "Who is she, Sasuke-kun?"

Instead, it was Suigetsu who answered. "It's that tea girl we saw some time ago, with the unusually pink hair. I saw Sasuke driving her to school one morning."

"Sakura." Sasuke said simply, he was beginning to get restless with all this talk about his personal life.

Karin's eyes were as wide as marbles. Clinging helplessly onto Sasuke's left arm, she whined, "Why, why did you do this to me! Aren't I good enough for you, Sasuke-kun?"

Suigetsu arched an eyebrow, still amused. "I'm curious to know myself."

"Please, guys." Juugo, who had been quiet the entire time, intervened. "I'm sure Sasuke didn't invite us here to gossip about his personal life. Leave him alone."

"Hn." Sasuke replied. Thank you Juugo.

"Why don't you get to your point, Sasuke?" Juugo prompted.

Sasuke looked around at his lunch mates. A visibly annoyed Karin was pouting at him with her arms crossed. Suigetsu, on the other hand, had a frown on his face, no doubt unhappy about being cut short his conversation about Sasuke's love life. Juugo was the only one who looked eager to listen. Would these people help him once more? Sasuke wasn't sure. But he knew he had to voice the question if he wanted them to even consider helping him. Besides, he had the resources to drag them out again, and he would persist to do so until they had given in.

"I need your help." He began, "On what we agreed to do last time."

"Not that kid again!" Suigetsu began, "I felt bad enough about what happened."

Sasuke merely glared at him. "It wasn't enough."

"How badly do you want him injured?" Juugo asked.

"Enough for him to be out for the finals."

"I don't understand, Sasuke-kun." Karin began, all thoughts of her previous grudge forgotten, "He's on your team, and he's good. Don't you want Itachi to see your team win?"

Sasuke didn't feel like explaining, so he gave her a glare.

"Karin's right." Suigetsu said, "I refuse to help. It doesn't make sense hurting someone without a good reason to."

Sasuke closed his eyes. Trying to suppress the urge to raise his voice. As much as he wanted to keep this to himself, he could not. Not if he wanted their help. "He…" Sasuke began in his calm voice, after opening his eyes."He's a threat to my rank."

"No way, Sasuke-kun! You are the best player on your team, aren't you?"

"No, Karin dear. You haven't been watching. Your Sasuke-kun let in two goals in the last match when they played against our team. Two very easy goals which, in Itachi's opinion, should have been stopped."

"Suigetsu's right." Juugo agreed, "Itachi's been saying how Sasuke's performance haven't been on par lately. At this rate, he's not going to be selected for captain next year."

"So no longer the star heh, Sasuke?" Suigetsu grinned at him evilly.

Sasuke wanted to shout. To scream. To run away. To be anywhere but here, where his problems are laid out casually on the table to be scrutinized by none other than his friends. Yet he showed none of this. He was an Uchiha. He hid his emotions well.

"You've got to understand, Sasuke." Jugo said after a short silence, "We are on your side, but Oto's out of the finals, so he's got to be taken out during practice."

"I'm all for a friendly game, if you are." Suigetsu announced, grinning at a stoic Sasuke.

"Do not let Itachi know." Sasuke replied, sealing the deal.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

Naruto was surprised to see Sakura approach him after school today, alone. He hardly saw the girl these days, with her being Sasuke's girlfriend now, she barely made time to talk to him. He supposed she was busy with Sasuke, and busy managing her new status as 'Queen' of the school. A status that he, Naruto, had indirectly helped her obtain.

But Naruto didn't let his mind wander off to such bitter thoughts. Instead. He was busy dreaming about eating ramen. There was no soccer practice after school today, and he had just finished his detention for coming late to chemistry (again) this morning. So the only thing that stood between him and his ramen was the road from school to his house. And now… Sakura.

"Naruto, I finally found you! I want to ask you some things. Can we talk?" A smiling Sakura appeared in front of him.

Naruto felt his own lips curl up into a grin as he replied, "Sure thing, Sakura-chan!"

"Let's find a place to sit first."

Sakura lead him towards a row of benches outside the school buildings. The last class had ended almost thirty minutes ago, and most of the students had already left. So save for the few stray kids here and there, they were pretty much alone.

Sakura shivered a little against the harsh winter wind, and bent down to button up her long winter coat before plopping down onto the bench. Naruto couldn't help but notice that Sakura looked especially pretty today. Her face was carefully made up, her glossy pink hair intricately curled into big loose waves, which bounced playfully on her shoulders. And she smelled faintly of apple cinnamon.

All of this, of course, was not for him. But that didn't mean he couldn't appreciate her looks. He thought as he snuck a sideways glance at Sakura, who was still busy buttoning the last few buttons on her coat.

"No teme today?" He asked her.

"Nope. He has plans at lunch and after school today. Must be something important, because he was really distracted when we were together this morning."

"Yeah. I thought so. He always drives you home now, doesn't he?"

Sakura nodded, and smiled. "It's really sweet of him. Even though I live so close to school he always insists on driving me. I never knew boyfriends could be so dedicated. He's my first, you know."

It was Naruto's turn to nod. He searched his brain for something to reply, but was surprised to find himself at a loss for words.

Luckily, Sakura continued to talk. "Did you get another detention today, Naruto? You know. You should at least try to be on time."

"Wait, how did you know I was in detention?"

Sakura looked at him like he was an idiot. "It's obvious. You weren't at your locker after last block when I looked for you. There is no soccer practice. And you came in twenty minutes late for chemistry this morning. Where else could you have gone?"

"I guess it wasn't too hard to find me then." Naruto gave a little laugh and scratched his head. What on earth does Sakura want to talk about? Something so important that she especially waited for him to finish his detention? He looked at her expectantly, waiting for her speak.

Sakura started. "I need some male opinion, Naruto. And you are my closest guy friend. So I want your honest answer, okay?"

"Uh huh." He replied, his curiosity more than ever aroused.

Sakura took in a deep breath, "Now, suppose you have this big crush on a girl. But she doesn't like you back. And suppose one day she asks you to go on a date with her friend. Would you agree to it just so you can make her happy? Or would you refuse?"

Naruto eyes were wide with shock. Did she know? Sakura can't possibly know! There's no way. She's too in love with Sasuke, too oblivious in love to see his feelings for her.

Yet the rest of the world had known…

Sakura was looking at him with knitted brows. Clearly his answer meant a lot for her, so he gathered his thoughts together.

"Well, lets see. If I really really like her, then, I would do almost anything to make her happy. But to go on a date with her friend, I'm not so sure." Naruto imagined going on a date with Sakura's friend, Ino, and immediately shook his head free of the thought. "It's one thing trying to make the one you care about happy, Sakura, but it's another to force yourself to like someone you do not, even if it's just for one date. I don't think I would do it if I were that guy."

Naruto could clearly see his answer had disappointed Sakura. She was now slumped on the bench, absentmindedly tracing circles in the dirt with her feet. Her face glum.

"But why not?" Sakura asked him, "If you can make her happy, why won't you do it?"

"Well, I wouldn't want the girl I like to see me go on a date with someone else, would I? I want to be there for her, and only her."

Sakura looked a little confused. So Naruto continued on. "Think about it this way, Sakura-chan. Would you go on a date with Sasuke's friend, simply because Sasuke asked you to, saying that was the only way to make him happy?"

Sakura contemplated, eyes focused on the ground. Naruto took this opportunity to admire her shiny pink curls once more. How he wanted to touch them, and engulf her soft curly hair in a hug! If only her heart belonged to him.

After a long silence. Sakura sighed. "Yeah, I suppose not. I wouldn't do it either."

"We are all selfish, Sakura-chan. You and I are no exception."

But Sakura was not listening anymore. She was holding her head in her hands, looking even more dejected then ever. "I don't know what to do then, Naruto. I wanted it to work so badly. It's not fair that Ino gets to go off easily. I simply won't allow it!"

"What to work? What about Ino getting off? I think you owe me an explanation here Sakura-chan."

"Well, I guess there's no harm letting you in on this." Sakura looked at him, and recounted her earlier conversation today with Ino, Tenten, and Hinata. "I mean, I kept my word when I lost to her, so why is she allowed to get off?" Sakura finished.

So it wasn't about his own feelings for Sakura after all. Naruto felt a sudden surge of relief. She couldn't know about his feelings, not yet. It'll just jeopardize their friendship.

"Have you thought about asking other guys, Sakura? If Lee's not going to work, why not ask Kiba, or Shikamaru? They're both single guys."

Sakura was looking at him with wide eyes. "You're right! How come I haven't thought of this. Come to think of it, Ino and Shikamaru compliment each other nicely, don't they? I'll be doing her a favour by setting them up."

"Exactly!" Naruto was glad she had found her answer. "Just like how Ino 'helped' you discover short hair."

"That's what friends do, I guess." Sakura beamed at him. "You're awesome, Naruto, did I ever tell you that?" She leaned forward and hugged him.

Naruto froze for a few seconds before awkwardly letting his arms wrap around her back. Before they had a chance to pull apart, however, they were interrupted by a voice behind them.

"Nice to see you here, Sakura."

Startled, Sakura let go of Naruto. That voice, smooth and deep, she could recognize it anywhere.

Her boyfriend, Sasuke, stood behind them. An expression so cold on his face that suggested he was not happy to see Sakura in this state at all.

"S-Sasuke-Kun. You're back!" Sakura smiled at him. Naruto thought her smile looked very strained. And was her hands shaking a bit because of Sasuke?

Sasuke's arms were crossed. "Sakura." He simply stated, "I forgot to mention another rule. If you want to be my girlfriend, you are forbidden to talk to any other members of the male sex, or be seen alone with them."

Sakura simply stared at him, too shocked for words.

It was Naruto who was shaking now, in anger though. "Asshole! You can't tell her what to do!"

Sakura winced at his choice of words. "Naruto, you stay out of it!" And turning to Sasuke, she simply said, "Sasuke-kun, Naruto is a friend, like how I am friends with the girls. Please don't mistake our friendship for something else."

But Sasuke was not taking any of this, he simply stood in the same position, arms still crossed. "He's a guy, Sakura. You are not allowed to be seen with him anymore."

"He's my friend first and foremost, Sasuke-kun." Sakura stared back at her boyfriend, adamantly.

"Hn. My girlfriend, my rules. Perhaps we should breakup, Sakura." He turned his back and stalked towards the parking lot, towards his car.

"No!"

Naruto watched as tears started streaming down Sakura's face.

"Sasuke-kun!" She cried, wiping away the tears with an angry swipe using the back of her hand, before standing up to chase after her boyfriend.

Naruto scrambled up off the bench and chased after her. He followed them closely, making sure to leave a safe distance between himself and the couple.

The school's parking lot was just around the corner of the school building. Naruto hid behind the school's walls, listening to the conversation occurring in the near-empty parking lot. He didn't care that he was eavesdropping, he had to make sure Sakura didn't get hurt physically by Sasuke.

"… Can't trust him." Sasuke was saying, "He's got that thug reputation."

"He's a good friend, Sasuke-kun. And I never felt like I was in danger when I was with him."

"I know, babe. But I'm just looking out for you because I care."

Babe? Since when did the stoic Sasuke call a girl 'babe'? Naruto supposed it was his playboy side coming through.

There was a slight silence, during which he could hear Sakura sniff.

"Well, I suppose I can stop talking to him, if it matters to you so much." She said. "Please don't break up with me, Sasuke-kun."

There was another long silence, during which Naruto dared to peek from behind the school wall.

Sakura had her back leaned against Sasuke's car, her face still shining from the tears streaks. And Sasuke was kissing her, just as he had done the other day after the soccer game, his hands holding her by the shoulders. Naruto withdrew back into hiding. He could feel his hands clench, as if they had a mind of their own.

"Then don't let it happen again." He heard Sasuke say.

"I won't." Came the reply. And then, "I love you, Sasuke-kun."

He simply could not listen anymore, Naruto decided. And as he slowly made his way home, he tried to free his mind of all thoughts about a particular girl by keeping it occupied with thoughts of ramen.

And for the first time, it didn't work.

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><p><em>Thanks again for reading! <em>


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